The release of these findings could, in the short run, damage Princeton's image with prospective applicants, given that the results reinforce many negative stereotypes about social life at Princeton. Downplaying these results to minimize bad publicity would be wrong. The University community must discuss these issues, for only by recognizing publicly that the Princeton experience is not equally positive for all students can it begin to fix the problem. This discussion may be unpleasant and uncomfortable for some, but the problems identified must be solved rather than left to grow and fester.
COMBO's release comes more than nine months after Jed Marsh, vice provost for institutional research, first drafted a report on the results. Both the administration and the USG have had the survey results long enough for them to think about the report's significance and potential influence on University policy. University officials have acknolwedged that the COMBO survey changed the University's views. The University has increased the number of textbooks on reserve and has supported former USG president Rob Biederman '08's suggestion for the creation of a campus pub. But, if the COMBO survey has impacted University thinking in the last nine months beyond textbooks acquisition and building a campus pub, the University should inform the community about such policy changes.
The USG has remained disturbingly inactive on COMBO since it far saw the results, even though the administration has maintained that the USG owned the survey; University spokeswoman Cass Cliatt '96 told the ‘Prince' that the USG is "free to do with [COMBO] what it will." The USG is most effective at bringing about change when it documents and publicly presents student concerns and suggestions. Releasing the COMBO survey to the public was in keeping with this; the USG must now help lead the discussion on what these results mean for students so as to give the administration an additional incentive to be forthcoming in sharing how these results will influence future University initiatives.
In the coming months, the USG and the administration must lend their full institutional support to addressing the divisions in the campus community. The long-term consequences of failing to act will prove far worse then the short-term pain that frank discussions of difficult issues may engender.
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