A Presidential Chat

The voice of Princeton’s president is found in every issue of PAW, on the President’s Page. It’s on that page that President Eisgruber ’83 speaks directly to alumni, describing his goals and initiatives, explaining the job, and staking out his position on the subject of the day.

Every so often, PAW seeks to engage with the president in a different way. Beginning on page 20, you can read the results: a Q&A in which Eisgruber addressed topics ranging from recent protests by the Black Justice League student group, to the role of the Graduate School, to why he favors a return to the admission of transfer students. He addressed the questions candidly, even when it seemed impossible to answer in a way that would please everyone.

Eisgruber has had an exceptionally busy tenure so far. He has spoken to Princeton audiences around the world, recently returning from India, where he was questioned about free speech. (In that exchange, which took place after an Indian student leader was arrested, a reporter asserted that no American university would allow students to meet to commemorate Osama bin Laden — and Eisgruber answered that Princeton would allow such a meeting to take place.) He has been caught up in a wave of student activism, much of it related to the Black Lives Matter movement, that has challenged the University to reconsider the legacy of Woodrow Wilson 1879 and the kind of home Princeton is for African American and other minority students.

After the interview with PAW, Eisgruber suggested that our conversation likely would prompt alumni to write in with their own views. We hope you prove him correct: Post a comment online at paw.princeton.edu, send an email to paw@princeton.edu, or write to us the old-fashioned way: 194 Nassau St., Suite 38, Princeton, NJ 08542.