Princeton’s Board of Trustees voted to extend the tenure of President Christopher L. Eisgruber ’83 for “at least five [more] years” on April 9. Eisgruber has served as President of the University since July 2013.
In a University press release on Wednesday, the Board of Trustees highlighted Eisgruber’s accomplishments throughout his time in office, including his efforts to broaden the diversity of the student body, expand philanthropic support, and develop campus facilities at an unprecedented rate.
In an email to The Daily Princetonian, Eisgruber expressed enthusiasm about his extended tenure.
“I am optimistic about Princeton’s future and delighted to be continuing in office for at least five more years,” he wrote. “I look forward to what all of us can accomplish together.”
In the press release, Chair of the Board of Trustees Louise Sams ’79 said that the Board is looking forward to the future of Eisgruber’s tenure.
“Chris is a visionary thinker, and we are delighted to keep him at the helm as we lean into this moment of opportunity,” Sams said in the statement.
Eisgruber began his tenure as president after serving as a University Provost for nine years. Prior to that, he directed the Program in Law and Public Affairs and served as a Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Public Affairs, specializing in constitutional law and religious freedom.
He led the University during the COVID-19 pandemic, a difficult period that the announcement highlighted.
“I am proud of the way that Princeton’s faculty, staff, students and alumni pulled together in response to the challenges of the last two years,” Eisgruber said in the University statement.
Under Eisgruber’s leadership, the release claims, the University has become bigger and more socioeconomically accessible than ever before — 22 percent of students are eligible for Federal Pell Grants, and 20 percent of undergraduates identify as first-generation college students.
The press release also emphasized Eisgruber’s work towards broadening admissions, including expanding the transfer admission program, establishing the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity, and co-chairing the American Talent Initiative.
Eisgruber has overseen some of the largest fundraising efforts in the University’s history, including the Venture Forward campaign, announced in October 2021.
According to the release, these financial contributions have made much of the infrastructural innovations on campus possible. These include the building of New Colleges East and West, the Lake Campus Development, and a new space for the computer science department.
The donations have also contributed to progress in the scientific, technological, and educational facets of the University, including the development of the data science, bioengineering, environmental studies, and American studies departments.
In the press release, Eisgruber expressed gratitude to the Board of Trustees for their confidence in his vision as President.
“It is a privilege to lead this university and this community that I love,” he said.
Izzy Jacobson is a news staff writer and features contributor for the ‘Prince.’ She can be reached at ijacobson@princeton.edu.
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