The decision on Burden was well reasoned and right
Joe Badaracco
Issue date: 4/17/07 Section: Viewpoints
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- Burden was designed to be a lecture hall and not a theater. As such, it is not suitable for performing arts. In fact, in order to make it usable, significant modifications must be made to the facility, whether building out a stage or installing lighting, props, sound systems, and other audio visual equipment, often costing event sponsors thousands of dollars.
- Use of Burden for performances has resulted in damage to the facilities, both from audience abuse as well as physical modifications to the facility. Specifically, excessive wear and tear, damage to expensive audiovisual equipment, and improper use of props, including smoke machines, have caused problems.
- The policy of reserving Burden for non-performance-type events is not new. The only performance that had been permitted until 2005 was the HBS Show. Because students wanted a larger space for other events, we piloted using Burden for three additional performances. Unfortunately, there were several issues and policy violations that caused us to discontinue the pilot. Simultaneously, several other groups made requests to hold performances in Burden, further emphasizing the need for action.
- A single exception to the return to policy has been made for the HBS Show because it has been a central part of the HBS tradition for over 30 years. In addition, the show is an HBS community event, written and performed by students and partners and attended by students, partners, faculty, and staff. We feel this makes it different, and we are willing to continue taking Burden off-line once a year and devoting the extra resources required to ensure the show's success. However, our pilot experience has demonstrated we cannot do this on a larger scale moving forward.
- The Student Association Co-Presidents have shared with us student concerns, in particular those of the African American Student Union (AASU), South Asian Business Association (SABA), and Africa Business Club (ABC) leadership teams regarding the use of Burden for their performing arts events. We are planning to meet with the SA Co-Presidents and other student leaders to better understand their concerns, brainstorm alternative locations for performing arts events, and find ways to continue to work together on the wide range of student-life activities that are so important to us all.
Sincerely,
Joe Badaracco
John Shad Professor of Business Ethics
Senior Associate Dean
Chair, MBA Program
- Use of Burden for performances has resulted in damage to the facilities, both from audience abuse as well as physical modifications to the facility. Specifically, excessive wear and tear, damage to expensive audiovisual equipment, and improper use of props, including smoke machines, have caused problems.
- The policy of reserving Burden for non-performance-type events is not new. The only performance that had been permitted until 2005 was the HBS Show. Because students wanted a larger space for other events, we piloted using Burden for three additional performances. Unfortunately, there were several issues and policy violations that caused us to discontinue the pilot. Simultaneously, several other groups made requests to hold performances in Burden, further emphasizing the need for action.
- A single exception to the return to policy has been made for the HBS Show because it has been a central part of the HBS tradition for over 30 years. In addition, the show is an HBS community event, written and performed by students and partners and attended by students, partners, faculty, and staff. We feel this makes it different, and we are willing to continue taking Burden off-line once a year and devoting the extra resources required to ensure the show's success. However, our pilot experience has demonstrated we cannot do this on a larger scale moving forward.
- The Student Association Co-Presidents have shared with us student concerns, in particular those of the African American Student Union (AASU), South Asian Business Association (SABA), and Africa Business Club (ABC) leadership teams regarding the use of Burden for their performing arts events. We are planning to meet with the SA Co-Presidents and other student leaders to better understand their concerns, brainstorm alternative locations for performing arts events, and find ways to continue to work together on the wide range of student-life activities that are so important to us all.
Sincerely,
Joe Badaracco
John Shad Professor of Business Ethics
Senior Associate Dean
Chair, MBA Program
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Paul Shafer -- HBS '79
posted 4/18/07 @ 8:22 AM EST
The text above, which comes across as a rationalization that is little and late, suggests that conditions have not materially changed at HBS in the time since our class was there. (Continued…)
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