Wythes proposals draw mixed student reactions

Student responses to the University Board of Trustees' Wythes Committee Report have been lukewarm. Among the report's main recommendations is a 10-percent increase in the size of the undergraduate student body.

The expansion would add approximately 500 students to the University, which the report suggests should be accommodated by the construction of a sixth residential college.

Many students cited the lack of proposed faculty growth intended specifically to match the student body expansion as the report's main flaw.

"One of the qualities people choose Princeton for is that it has a small student-to-faculty ratio which enables you to have intense relationships with professors rather than graduate students or TA's," Lizzy Gilbert '00 said. "There's a worry that we'll lose the feeling of a small college within a university if we begin increasing class size."

Brian Rismiller '03 echoed Gilbert's sentiments. "Some people might argue that increasing the size of the student body would increase diversity on campus," he said. "It might, but it would take away from the overall feeling people take away from Princeton."

Alan Poussaint '01 said he doubted the proposed growth in the student body would be an advantage for the University. "I don't buy the argument that it increases diversity," he said. "Except for the fact that it will be a little bigger, I don't think it's a big deal."

"I like the fact that this school is one of the smaller Ivy League schools," Poussaint added.

Eric Sharret '02 noted a similar concern. "I like the small community feeling of our school. I hope this doesn't damage that," he said.

Positive reactions

Though most students voiced opposition to the expansion, some agreed with the plan. "In principle I think it's a good idea, but I don't know if the University is going about it the right way," Benjamin Sharma '03 said. "If we're going to be expanding, we're going to have to pay the costs . . . like hiring a lot of new faculty."

Sharma cited ECO 102, a class in which he was enrolled last semester, as a course that would be hurt by the expansion. He said McCosh 50 was full and precepts were too large. "They are already a lot larger than what would be good for learning," he said.

Virginia Constantino '02 also said she had some reservations about the plan but said she liked what she had heard so far about the Wythes report. "As long as they keep their focus on undergrads rather than grad students, it seems workable," she said, adding that Poe Field could be a good site for the new residential college. "Near Poe Field seems good to me because the new campus center will be near that area."

Bonnie Lau '02, however, said she does not think Poe Field would be a good location for new underclassmen housing. "If anything, [the University] should take the junior slums and make it into a residential college," she said. "To give underclassmen the new rooms seems kind of unfair."