In the summer of 2020, President Eisgruber urged the Princeton community to address racial inequities and charged the University Cabinet – the senior academic and administrative leaders of Princeton University — to develop plans and proposals on ways to combat systemic racism at Princeton and beyond.In charging the Cabinet with developing ideas to support racial equity, President Eisgruber requested proposals to “stand up against racism and to bring [Princeton’s] scholarly and teaching resources to bear to create a more just and equal society” and “within our own community” through teaching, research, operations, and partnerships. The charge required attention to systems and the “nuts and bolts of University management.”At the Intersection of Scholarly Initiatives and Practical OperationsPresident Eisgruber and the Cabinet reviewed, discussed, and examined a range of proposals. This discussion was informed by input from across the Princeton community. In fall 2020, President Eisgruber updated the University on the Cabinet’s progress, emphasizing that addressing systemic racism involved both scholarly initiatives and practical operations throughout the University. Our Cross-institutional Commitments A set of cross-institutional commitments were announced in September 2020 as initial priorities for collective, University-wide work. New Credit & Degree Granting Programs Princeton identified an interest in exploring “the possibility of a new credit- or degree-granting program that would extend Princeton’s teaching to a new range of students from communities disproportionately affected by systemic racism and other forms of disadvantage.” Faculty Diversification and the Faculty Pipeline Princeton identified a renewed focus on promoting faculty excellence. Supplier and Contractor Diversity Princeton committed to ensuring that diverse firms are afforded equitable access to the many purchasing and sourcing needs of the University by strengthening institutional commitment to making purchases through competition, expanding our partnerships with current and prospective suppliers, and building capacity through advocacy and outreach. History and Sense of Place Princeton committed to providing the campus community with a more nuanced understanding of its history and recognizing individuals and events previously overlooked. This included programming related to: Honorific naming, portrait commissions, and funding for historical researchDevelopment of general principles to govern questions about when and under what circumstances it might be appropriate for the University to remove or contextualize the names and representations of historical individuals honored on the Princeton campusEnhancements to the CPUC Committee on Naming Benefits and Policies Princeton committed to a review of policies and benefits, including the Staff Educational Assistance Plan and the Children’s Educational Assistance Plan, with an eye to providing equal access to these benefits for employees in lower-paid positions and others who may have been disproportionately affected by systemic racism or other identity-based inequities. Campus Professional Development and Educational Programming Princeton committed to strengthening support for professional development and other educational programming, including appropriate instruction for individuals with managerial or hiring responsibilities; and offerings related to inter-group dialogue, inclusive pedagogy, and bias response. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Annual Report To provide increased accountability around these goals, we will collect and publish additional data, including an annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion report.
