Harvard is used to being in the headlines for all the right reasons, like the stellar accomplishments of its students and faculty. However, in the past few days, administrators at  “the world’s greatest university” are getting some lessons from the school of hard knocks.

An op-ed recently published in the Harvard Crimson offers disturbing, graphic details of a sexual assault experienced by a young woman in her dorm. Despite her efforts, she encounters her assailant daily, since school officials did not move, at a minimum, to do something about the living arrangements.

According to the student, university officials did nothing since the male student may not have technically violated policies outlined in guidelines issued to students. She writes:

“Dear Harvard: I am writing to let you know that I give up. I will be moving out of my House next semester, if only-quite literally-to save my life. You will no longer receive emails from me, asking for something to be done, pleading for someone to hear me, explaining how my grades are melting and how I have developed a mental illness as a result of your inaction. My assailant will remain unpunished, and life on this campus will continue its course as if nothing had happened. Today, Harvard, I am writing to let you know that you have won.”

To their credit, student government officials have been more proactive. They urged university administrators to read the column and formed a sexual policy task force to “complement” the existing “Our Harvard Can Do Better” campaign, aimed at “dismantl[ing] the rape culture” at the university.

Late Tuesday, Stephen Lassonde, the dean of student life, sent an email to undergraduates. He noted that “sexual violence is not tolerated and that Harvard needed to create an atmosphere where people could come forward and get the guidance needed to cope with abuse. The email, excerpted here, apparently did not detail what steps the university planned to take to prevent future incidents, although Lassonde did congratulate students for establishing a task force.

Sexual violence is just one of the cultural problems facing Harvard. Last month, a group of African American students created an international stir with “I, Too, Am Harvard,” a Tumblr photo montage of the clueless comments that they have endured from fellow students. The students also staged a play based on their experiences.

Black students at the University of Michigan appear to have started the social media trend last year, but the Harvard students seemed to have struck a nerve. Their Tumblr campaign sparked similar efforts from minority students at predominately white universities from the University of Iowa to Oxford. Harvard administrators have set up a working group to deal with student inclusion issues.

Pressure from Harvard alumni may also force the university to get moving. In an essay appearing in The Root, two black, female members of the class of 1997 expressed dismay about the “racial micro-aggressions” that students experience, noting that while Harvard was not a racial utopia back in the 1990s, something is clearly amiss if Harvard appears to be pedaling backwards.

With Harvard’s class of 2018 reveling in their acceptance letters (including one young black man who was accepted by all eight Ivy League colleges), both of these chapters of life at Harvard create a serious public relations problems as the two Harvard graduates point out:

“Most concerning are the likely effects on recruitment. There is no doubt that most Harvard alums had overwhelmingly positive experiences, micro-aggressions included. The possibility that talented students might veer away from Harvard out of a fear that they will face an overtly racist environment is most troubling.”

–GABRIELLE GURLEY  

BEACON HILL

The House approves legislation that would raise the minimum wage to $10.50 and cut unemployment insurance rates, the Associated Press reports.

The Supreme Judicial Court strips former Middlesex register of probate John Buonomo of his pension because of his conviction for stripping copier machines in the courthouse where he worked of $100,000.

MUNICIPAL MATTERS

Thousands of firefighters pay tribute to Lt. Edward Walsh at his funeral in Watertown.

Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera hires the planning director in Lowell to fill the same spot in his administration as he tries to make jobs and growth a focus of his term, the Eagle-Tribune reports.

The Lynn City Council puts off a hearing on a mayoral pay raise and, as a result, is forced to cut the salaries of its members, the Item reports.

Newburyport raises the town’s tobacco-buying age to 19.

CASINOS

The state Gaming Commission will vote today on whether to extend the deadline for applications for a commercial casino as well as adopt a variance to the requirement of a $500 million minimum for construction in the Southeast region as a potential new applicant has emerged.

NATIONAL POLITICS/WASHINGTON

A gunman opens fire at Fort Hood in Texas, leaving four dead and 16 injured. Fort Hood was also the scene of a mass shooting in 2009.

ELECTIONS

The Supreme Court struck down laws limiting the total amount individuals can give in combined contributions to political campaigns, a move further opening the spigot to big-money spending in campaigns. Greater Bostonponders what the decision means to state elections. A New York Times analysis predicts a further tilting of the political system toward big-money interests — a development Harvard Law School professor Lawrence Lessig described as legalized corruption in a CommonWealth conversation last year.

Wendy Kaminer anticipated the decision in a recent CommonWealth conversation on campaign finance issues; Kaminer argued that the decision could have a beneficial impact on elections, because it could lead to more money flowing into transparent channels, like candidate and party campaign accounts, rather than opaque dark money PACs. FiveThirtyEight sees the decision as a boon for political parties and bundlers, but notes that very few campaign donors ever bumped up against the now-illegal contribution limit. Gail Collins doesn’t see the decision moving the needle much, because, she asks, “How much farther could we sink?”

And speaking of big money in politics, Charles Koch pens a Wall Street Journal op-ed column today laying out the political philosophy behind his deep-pocketed political crusade; the column boils down to a long complaint about people “saying things about Charles Koch that Charles Koch does not agree with,” New York‘s Jonathan Chait argues.

EDUCATION

The Lawrence Teachers Union ratifies a new contract with the state receiver overseeing the city’s schools, the Eagle-Tribune reports.

The new Essex Technical High School, which is under construction, is causing assessments on Danvers, Peabody, and Salem to skyrocket, the Salem News reports.

The New York Times digs into New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo‘s charter school victory over Bill de Blasio.

HEALTH CARE

With more than 7 million Americans newly insured under Obamacare, The New Republic‘s Jonathan Cohn does some smirking as he reviews earlier predictions from the law’s detractors about how the government would never reach the goal of 7 million sign-ups.

A report being released by a biotech trade group warns of threats to the industry from the pressure to control health care costs.

A Quincy city councilor wants to require a $500 local licensing fee for people who have a doctor’s certificate to grow medical marijuana at home. The councilor says the fee is needed in order to keep communities from becoming “the Wild West of weed.”

TRANSPORTATION

The Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority is considering offering Sunday service on some bus routes, the Eagle-Tribune reports.

ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT

A new sprawl index suggests communities that are packed tighter together offer physical and economic benefits to residents, Governing reports.

In CommonWealth, Cape Wind’s spokesman says Massachusetts is not at the end of the wind energy pipeline.

Local activists have succeeded in pushing the state to begin additional testing for air pollution in Brockton.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

A Harvard report gives generally positive marks to area first responders in last year’s Boston Marathon bombings.

The Globe’s Joan Vennochi says the cases of Jared Remy and ex-rep. Carlos Henriquez illustrate how the state’s domestic violence laws are not applied equally.

With what it says is a marked increase in willingness by perps to use guns in police confrontations, a Patriot Ledger editorial points out Massachusetts is third from the bottom in paying for police training and calls on the state to fully fund the Municipal Police Training budget.

Three Secret Service agents were at Fairhaven town hall to investigate an apparent hacking of the town’s computer system that was part of an undisclosed financial crime.

A nationally renowned educator is facing child molestation charges in Lynn for an incident that allegedly occurred eight years ago with a girl who was nine at the time, the Item reports.

MEDIA

The Boston Business Journal‘s Craig Douglas says the Globe columnist and inno-tech guy Scott Kirsner is entangled in clear conflicts between companies and people he writes about and business ventures he’s involved in. Kirsner and Globe editor Brian McGrory insist all is hunky-dory.

Cha-ching: David Ortiz‘s selfie with the president turns out to be aptly named as it had a lot to do with himself and a promotional contract the Sox slugger has with Samsung, the maker of the phone he used.

Amazon unveils a new video streaming set-top box, the $99 Fire TV.