The relationship between the campus and the residential colleges is on the verge of change as the University prepares for the construction of a sixth residential college. As opposed to many administrative changes, students may have a large say in how the new college will function.
Students will be able to submit their ideas for the new residential college starting today, through a competition sponsored by Prospects2 — a student group founded by Steve Caputo '01 to encourage Princetonians to help shape the spaces on campus.
The group also sponsored a project last year based on a similar model, which focused on changing the spatial dynamic of Prospect Avenue.
The inspiration for the group, Caputo said, was the many changes that occurred on campus last year — changes in which he felt students should have had a larger voice.
"We'll be able to solicit tons and tons of ideas from students [on topics which] students aren't usually asked about," he said.
Students can enter the competition by submitting descriptions of their proposals to the welcome desk in Frist Campus Center.
The selection process
The submissions will be reviewed and judged by a group of students, who will choose 10 or 12 semifinalists. A panel of students, alumni, faculty and University officials will judge the second round of entries. The finalists will be announced April 13.
This year, Harris Ford '02 and Megan Kelly-Sweene '02 are heading the project. University administrators were enthused by the project, Ford said.
"This is a particularly promising and exciting possibility because we really are doing something groundbreaking," said University Vice President and Secretary Thomas Wright '62, who is a judge on the panel.
While Ford described last year's project as "more of a dialogue about the 'Street,' " he said he hopes Prospects2 will elicit more direct feedback to the programming committee in charge of establishing the sixth college.
Direct feedback is the best way to funnel student opinions to the administration, Ford said.
He added that he would like all members of the community to be involved in the process.
"They all should have a voice," he said, because they will all be affected by the changes.
Incorporating ideas
While the administration cannot promise to incorporate the ideas generated into the planning of the sixth college, Wright said, ideas might have an impact.
"The point of the Prospects competition is to think outside the box," he continued. "Even the most off-the-wall suggestions . . . stimulate a new way of looking at things."
As for future competitions sponsored by the Prospects2 group, Ford said the group will face no shortage of topics.
"We won't have a lack of ideas," Ford noted. "The beautiful thing is that this campus is exploding."
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