Princeton is exploring the creation of a continuing-education or outreach program that would grant credits or degrees and extend the University’s educational mission to underserved students, President Eisgruber ’83 announced in September. Eisgruber also outlined the administration’s aims to increase diversity among faculty, researchers, and contractors as part of the University’s effort to address systemic racism.
Peer institutions already have continuing-education and outreach programs, Eisgruber noted. “This kind of teaching initiative might simultaneously help to address the effects of systemic racism and expand the horizons of our scholarly and educational community,” he wrote, adding that online learning “adds to the tools” the University might employ. Provost Deborah Prentice is leading the effort to explore potential programs. Eisgruber said any program would require support from the faculty and trustees.
The president announced in June that he had asked his cabinet to suggest actions “to identify, understand, and combat systemic racism within and beyond the University.” Proposals were due Aug. 21, and Eisgruber outlined the initial findings in the first week of September. He wrote that many of the items were “unglamorous, focused not on flashy symbols but on the nuts and bolts of University management.”
Topping the list was an effort to expand diversity among tenured and tenure-track faculty, with a goal of increasing the number of tenured or tenure-track faculty members from underrepresented groups by 50 percent over five years. In 2019–20, 4 percent of tenured and tenure-track faculty were Black and 4 percent were Hispanic, according to the University’s Diversity Dashboard.
Additional diversity initiatives will aim to address postdoctoral researchers, non-tenured faculty (lecturers and visiting faculty), graduate students, and vendors and contractors who work with the University.
Since 2016, the Council of the Princeton University Community’s Committee on Naming has worked to advise the trustees on naming buildings or spaces on campus to “bring a more diverse presence to the campus.” Eisgruber’s September announcement expanded that work, asking an ad hoc committee to recommend principles to govern changes in naming and other campus iconography.
Eisgruber also pledged support for ongoing anti-racism and diversity-related professional development and educational opportunities on campus.
To promote accountability, the University plans to collect and publish data on the new initiatives, including an annual diversity, equity, and inclusion report.
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7 Responses
Charles S. Rockey Jr. ’57
4 Years AgoSystemic Racism
President Eisgruber ’83 is a smart man, but his description of “systemic racism at Princeton” is a serious blunder. Thousands of alumni have given their time, treasure, and devotion to Princeton over many decades. Now we are told the university we have supported so strongly is racist. Very sad indeed.
Seth Akabas ’78
4 Years AgoDiversity Through Supplemental Admissions
Regarding the University’s diversity goals (On the Campus, October issue), Princeton should consider a supplemental admissions program. Each student close to admission in the ordinary process, but not admitted, could be separately judged on criteria for coming from an underserved/challenged background, and, if so, could be offered admission to a special one-year online program of supplemental education merging into first-year college courses during the second semester as the student is able. The courses would be supervised by Princeton faculty and grad students but otherwise would involve little cost, as materials would be online and results would depend mostly on student initiative. As a public service, Princeton could offer this special program free. Courses in the program could be taken asynchronously so students in the program could work, or even attend another school, for the year.
A student who does well enough in the program would be admitted to Princeton for the next year, with credits from the courses taken in the program depending on how well the student did. The program would help deserving students who are ready to work hard gain admission to Princeton, and it would enable Princeton to admit highly qualified and motivated students from a broader group who need just a little extra time and work to reach Princeton standards. A student who enrolled in the program and was not admitted would still enjoy the benefits of a free supplemental education.
Warren S. Whitlock ’81
4 Years AgoDepartment of Education’s Attack in Princeton’s Efforts to Address Its Racist Past
The government’s efforts to stifle Princeton’s progressive actions exemplify a new way to suppress free speech and equality.
Lee L. Kaplan ’73
4 Years AgoOn Giving, Administration, and Systemic Racism
Some of my classmates have taken exception to the administration’s statement that Princeton is systemically racist and they intend to withhold contributions to Annual Giving. I have a different take on this. I know that Princeton was systemically racist. I don’t think it is now, although I certainly cannot identify a date when it flipped. My feelings about Princeton — and the wisdom of contributing to it — are influenced by the knowledge that Princeton lives beyond (and is more important than) the missteps, misconceptions, and frailties of its current administration, faculty, and students. So I am contributing to an endowment that, more than ever, will be needed to compensate for the lower average socioeconomic status of the student body. Creating a colorblind meritocracy and less stratified society means making a Princeton education available to a broad range of students. That will be true long after the current University president leaves the scene. So I will keep giving, and will give the administration its lumps when I think it makes mistakes, just as I gave Dean Nancy Weiss Malkiel and President Shirley Tilghman a hard time for the immense sums spent (to my mind, wasted) on balkanizing the University by creating a college system.
Edward Groth III ’66
4 Years AgoPush Back Against Federal ‘Investigation’
The recent news that the U.S. Department of Education is “investigating” Princeton (On the Campus, October issue) because of President Eisgruber ’83’s Sept. 2 letter acknowledging failures to eliminate embedded racism has left me angry and appalled.
Let’s set aside the fact that, in advance of an election, this is a publicity stunt designed to show how this administration loves to beat up on “liberals.” Let’s recall that Ukraine was asked to announce — not conduct, just announce — an “investigation” of the Bidens, to smear the president’s opponent. Let’s assume that the legal basis for this action is flimsy or nonexistent and that there is no real threat that the University will be penalized. We might ignore this if it were just another skirmish in the culture wars.
But let’s focus instead on the effort to intimidate and silence institutions that acknowledge past failures and racism, and pledge to try harder to reach equality. “If you are intellectually honest, if you pursue racial justice, we will come after you with the full power of the federal government.” That’s the message the administration is sending.
I cannot recall ever having been prouder of my university than I have been in the past few weeks. Let us all rise up and loudly protest unprincipled authoritarian efforts to stifle the pursuit of justice.
Jon Holman ’66
4 Years AgoHell, Yes!
Right you are, Ned. President Eisgruber not only did nothing wrong, he is to be admired for stating the truth.
Jay Lagemann ’66
4 Years AgoWe Were Part of the Problem and Didn’t Even Realize It
When I got to Princeton in 1962 my memory is that there were 5 blacks, and several of them were African princes or something like that.
We never even thought to protest or challenge the system; rather most of us wanted to become leaders in it.
When I go to Reunions now and see the diversity of the recently graduated classes, I applaud the changes Princeton has made and wish I had gone to a college with such diversity.