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CPUC talks plans at first meeting of the semester

University President Christopher Eisgruber '83 gave a presentation on campus planning and Provost David Lee GS '99 presented an update about theSpecial Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the first spring meeting of the Council of the Princeton University Communityon Monday.

Eisgruber noted that the University is partnering with an outside firm for campus planning. According to the University's web page devoted to the campus plan, the plans include a new child care facility, among other projects.

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However, he said the feasibility of these projects depend on donors.

In response to a question, Eisgruber also said the University is assessing the possibility of expanding the undergraduate student body.

Eisgruber explained that two current trends affecting colleges — rapidly progressing digital technology and the increasing social value assigned to education — may necessitate an increase in the number of undergraduates. In recent years, he said, emerging technology has increased student interest in engineering. Eisgruber added that the University has recently seen an increase in engineering concentrators of about a third and comparably increased engagement with the digital humanities.

"The extraordinary value [placed] on education creates greater demand," Eisgruber said, referring to historically high numbers of undergraduate applicants vying for admission. "If we are turning down so many exceptional students, can we sustain our education excellence?"

Eisgruber also noted that the recently approved budget for the 2015-16 academic year includes a 7.4 percent increase in the University's financial aid budget.

Acknowledging that the University has been criticized for not doing as much work to promote social mobility, Eisgruber described a series of recent outreach initiatives for students of lower socioeconomic status.

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"Working with the LEDA Scholars Program, we bring [low-income] students to campus every summer," Eisgruber said. "There is also someone in the Office of Admission to coordinate this aspect, and we’ve made progress every single year."

The University increased its admission of Pell Grant-eligible students from 6.1 percent at the beginning of former University President Shirley Tilghman’s term to 18.1 percent in the current freshmen class, according to Eisgruber. The University is also one of a few institutions to practice need-blind admission for international students.

Eisgruber also made a plea to the federal government for an increase of research funding, an issue on which the University has both recently and historically lobbied.

"Our faculty compete for federal grants, and get about 200 million dollars a year," Eisgruber said. "Yet, Washington is now squeezed. I think both parties should still invest more in research."

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After Eisgruber spoke, University Provost David Lee GS ’99 gave a detailed update on the works of the newly established task force on diversity, equity and inclusion.

“We were at an important moment in Princeton’s history," Lee said. "We are facing something that was rather daunting, and we are intent on doing something positive on these issues."

The University is failing if it is not making room for a diverse group of students, Michele Minter, the vice provost for institutional diversity and equity,said.

"This is a community where everyone belongs," Minter said. "Our students were chosen because they went through a rigorous admission process, our staff equally rigorous."

After receiving more than 200 nominations for the task force, Lee and others selected the final members, including undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff.

The University also recently created a website called "Many Voices, One Future" that allows students to relate concerns about discrimination to administrators anonymously, Minter said. In addition, four administrative positions exist for diversity-related affairs on campus, and a diversity training program is being developed for faculty. The task force is also considering expanding programming spaces for different identity groups on campus.

In response to a concern about verbal harassment faced by LGBT and other students, Minter said the University upholds the freedom of expression but within those boundaries will consider options to address such harassment.

Correction: An earlier version of this article contained several inaccuracies. Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this article misstated in the headline and first paragraph that the Council of the Princeton University Community is making recommendations for campus construction. The CPUC only discussed the buildings that the next generation of Princetonians will be able to enjoy. Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this article inaccurately conflated the University's campus plan and strategic planning and misstated that the University is partnering with an outside firm for strategic planning. The University is partnering with anoutside firm for the campus plan. Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this article inaccurately stated that strategic planning to generate new projects for 2026 will conclude in 2016. This timeline is incorrect. Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this article inaccurately stated that the feasibility of certain projects relies on the influx of endowments. University President Christopher Eisgruber '83 said the projects depend on donors. Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this article inaccurately stated that there has been an increase in financial aid endowments. There has been an increase in the University's budget to allow for more financial aid. Additionally, while the University is recruiting more low-income applicants, that effort is unrelated to the amount of financial aid available. The 'Prince' regrets the errors.

Clarification: This article has been updated to clarify that while the University's campus plan does include a new child care facility, that plan was not discussed at the meeting Monday afternoon.