Lectures making time for students

Many of the opportunities Princeton offers its students occur outside of the classroom. One in particular has impressed me over the years: the lectures given by outside speakers. Often I was surprised at the low turnout for many of these events, until I realized that the cause might not be lack of interest but the times these events are presented.

This week provides a typical example. Of 44 lectures, 18 are offered around noon, 25 at 4:30 p.m. and one in the evening. Many departments avoid scheduling around lunch hour because faculty and students are busy at that time. Four-thirty is consistently the time of choice — an unfortunate decision considering that athletes, who practice from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., are immediately excluded from participation.

According to Gary Walters, the director of athletics, 20 percent of Princeton students participate in varsity sports. "We'd obviously like to see outside lectures scheduled at times that don't conflict with athletic practices," he said. "It's inevitable that there will be some conflicts, but we would like to see them more intermittent." He was quick to point out that other student groups consistently meet at 4:30 p.m. as well.

"The lectures are not particularly intended for undergraduates and, in fact, undergraduates tend not to attend," wrote professor Gilbert Harman, chair of the philosophy department, in an e-mail. Many of the topics require substantial prior knowledge of the subject matter. For instance, most of today's "Axon Guidance and Neural Map Development" lecture would be lost on me. A choice of 4:30 p.m. for these, then, makes sense, since it allows faculty with families to be home in the evenings.

The lectures of the Wilson School, though, are different. Prominent speakers discuss topics intimately connected to current affairs. Such lectures as "Peacekeeping: Lessons Learned and Current Challenges," by the undersecretary general of the UN, "The Political Leadership of George W. Bush: What a Difference September 11th Made," and "Arming Afghanistan: A History of Arms and Human Rights," are of interest to many undergraduates yet are all offered during athletic practice hours. Of the 10 lectures the Wilson School sponsors between the end of fall break and Thanksgiving, only one is offered at a time athletes could attend.

Delia Pitts, the assistant dean for external affairs at the Wilson School, explained that, contrary to my opinion, the lectures were not intended for the entire campus community. "As you may know our primary target audience is Woodrow Wilson School students and faculty members," she wrote in an e-mail. "We work hard to make sure that our choice of speakers is an enhancement to the academic program offered through WWS courses." The 4:30 p.m. time slot is selected so that the lecture might be followed by a dinner for a select group of Wilson School students. "We think it is vitally important that our students have access to guest speakers not only in the formal environment of a prepared lecture, but also in the more intimate setting of small round-table dinner discussions," she continued. Too bad if you're an athlete.

Here's an idea: Hold lectures from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m., then invite special students to meet over coffee and dessert with the speaker from 8 p.m. until 9 p.m. And this classical archaeology major figured that out without a task force!

The Wilson School could learn some lessons from Career Services, which has been making efforts to schedule events in the evenings, knowing that it is important for all undergraduates to have access to their resources. The Wilson School too is a resource for the whole University community. Issues of war, human rights and politics are not intended for a select few, yet the School deftly turns its back on 20 percent of undergraduates. And in so doing, an institution which claims to be training the future leaders of the country ignores those excelling on the athletic fields who are perhaps the most ready to assume leadership positions.

After a few weeks of scheduling outside-speakers in the evenings, the campus community would adjust and embrace the new time schedule. Until then, students affected by the 4:30 p.m. time slot should voice their concerns to specific departments and, if a change is made, show their support with attendance. Of course no time will satisfy all, but 4:30 p.m. seems to be just about the worst choice. Nathan Arrington is an art and archaeology major from Westport, Conn. He can be reached at arington@princeton.edu.