The student-initiated referendum on the USG 2008 spring elections ballot addressed several key issues: student approval of the administration, the effects of key initiatives on student life and the role of student input. While the questions are a bit vague, they nonetheless serve as a useful barometer for general student sentiment on these issues.
Few students, if any, would question the claim that top-level University administrators are acting in what they think is the best interest of the University and its student body. Administrators work diligently on policies and engage in discussions that seek to promote these interests every day.
Only 21 percent of the undergraduate student body believes major decisions by top-level administrators have made an improvement on student life. In the free response, students voiced concerns over the grade deflation policy, what they saw as the administration’s anti-eating club sentiments, the loss of Early Decision, “image” protection, the decision to annex parts of Spelman Hall to Whitman College, the stalled expansion of Dillon Gym and the role of Public Safety on campus. The answers to this question show discontent growing with experience.
As I see it, the true lesson here is simple: Student input must be a fundamental piece of decision-making and policy implementation. At best, 21 percent of any class believes “top-level administrators listen to student input while creating substantial campus policy.” A majority of responding upperclassmen — 67 percent — does not feel student input is listened to.
The Council of the Princeton University Community (CPUC) is designed to facilitate the integration of student input in some respects, but CPUC is a forum for presentation more than decision-making. This year alone, the Undergraduate Life Committee (ULC) was circumvented on the first round of decision-making on both the annexation of Spelman Halls 7 and 8 and on the changes to the RCA alcohol guidelines. When first informed of a possible Spelman Halls 7 and 8 annexation at a Prospect House dinner in January, several students felt as though the decision had already been made. This was confirmed several days later due to “time constraints” by the relevant administrator. Student concerns should not be viewed as a variable to be balanced in a decision-making equation; student opinion should be a driving force for policy creation and discussion.
While student input on major decisions is needed, Princeton is still a pretty sweet place. Most administrative departments I’ve dealt with — including OIT, Campus Recreation, the Office of Sustainability, University Services, Athletics, Dining Services — seek student input. The Residence Committee, a joint student-administration working group, has meetings planned to discuss room draw and other housing issues.
I’d point to the recent RCA policy revision as a great precedent for student-administration interaction. Concerned for the wellbeing of students and hoping to improve our policies to match the success of peer institutions, administrators devised new guidelines. Students, who were not consulted during the decision-making process, were taken aback by their interpretation of the policy’s text. An initial meeting after the policy was announced led to a lightly attended, hotly contested debate between the two sides. Recently, however, Dean Hillary Herbold and ULC member Zach Squire ‘08 discussed the pros of the new guidelines in the context of student concern. The resulting draft achieved the administration’s goals of improving the quality of life and was a success among the student body.
On the student side, we need to end our apathy and continue to actively voice our thoughts and concerns. Though the RCA policy was cited as one of the most pressing concerns in casual conversations during my campaign last December, poor student turnout at the USG’s discussion of the issue was noted by President Tilghman one month later. Even if you feel certain administrators do not include student input in these decisions, not offering your thoughts is bound to lead to the same result. Similarly, the USG needs to more proactively voice the interests of the student body and actively address individual student concerns. The USG needs to improve its communication with students to let them know how they can get involved and what is going on.
Since many students feel “major decisions” have had an adverse effect on student life, we hope the University can work with students to ameliorate this. Going forward, we hope that the administration can make a structural change to better incorporate student input. More importantly, a lot can be changed simply by increasing the importance of and properly employing the existing processes for student-administration interaction.
Josh Weinstein ’09 is the USG president. He can be reached at joshw@princeton.edu.
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