Harvard University in the US is going to remove the word “master” from academic titles, after protests from students who claimed the title had echoes of slavery.

House masters, in charge of residential halls at the university, will become known as “faculty deans”.

Harvard Law School is also deciding whether to change its official seal, because of links to slavery.

US campuses have faced a series of protests over allegations of racism.

Harvard has not agreed that the use of “master” represented a link to slavery, but it has accepted campaigners’ calls for a name change.

It will mean changing the job titles of 24 members of staff – but will not affect other uses of “master”, such as a master’s level degree.

Harvard academics say that the word “master” derives from the Latin term “magister” – a form of address for scholars or teachers. It is similar to terms such as “school master” or “head master”.

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