Princeton's often nationally ranked academic teams travel across the country and around the globe to compete in tournaments against the world's best students. Renowned for their successes, abilities and spirit, these teams proudly represent Princeton.
But the low level of attention given to our academic teams upon their return to campus is reflected in the paucity of University funding they are allotted. The USG Projects Board, which distributes a large amount of funding to student groups, maintains a policy that funded events must be open and beneficial to all members of the campus community. This is a laudable principle that aims to use available resources to maximize benefits to all community members.
Due to academic teams' need to rigorously select their members and compete off campus, however, the Projects Board almost always determines that these teams do not qualify for funding. Though some groups have endowments, most collect dues and devote an exhausting amount of time to fundraising. Even then, high travel costs and prohibitive fees greatly limit the number of tournaments and conferences that teams can attend throughout the year.
The University should ensure that the Projects Board or another source provides adequate funding for these groups. A University with as many resources as Princeton should not force students to bear the costs of participating in time-honored extracurricular activities for which other universities are quick to foot the bill. Competitive academic teams deserve the University's funding and support just as much as Princeton's many athletic teams, performing arts groups and miscellaneous student organizations do.
The lack of funding and attention given to the University's academic teams create the perception that they are a low priority on campus. But if the University wishes to promote academic and extracurricular excellence, the University would do well to support these groups and publicize their achievements to the campus community and beyond. More publicity and support would not only benefit the students currently involved in these teams but also make other students aware of these opportunities for extracurricular exploration. Having a bonfire to celebrate football victories is a great thing, but the University community should also get fired up when our academic teams demonstrate their excellence.
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