Regarding 'Grade inflation plan passes' (April 27):
Now that the faculty have approved the proposal to curb grade inflation, I have but one question for the administration: What steps are you going to take to make sure that those of us involved in the "transition period" do not suffer negative effects when applying to jobs and graduate schools?
Simply marking that grade inflation was being curbed starting the 2004-2005 academic year isn't enough. When an employer or admissions officer sees that, it immediately calls into question the validity of grades received prior to the deflation process. An A last year appears to be meaningless. A B or C looks even worse. Nitesh N. Paryani '05
New policy puts Princeton at the head of the class
Regarding 'Grade inflation plan passes' (April 27):
As a parent of a student currently in high school, who hopes to attend Princeton in 2005, I applaud the decision on grade inflation.
In too many educational institutions the importance of good grades has been undermined by social and economic factors. This will strengthen Princeton's position as a top academic leader in the world. John W. Chapman Colpitts Settlement, New Brunswick
Oh, if I'd known what Princeton really was . . .
Regarding 'Grade inflation plan passes' (April 27):
Let's recap: As of next fall, Princeton will use the Common Application, enforce grading quotas and likely experience rampant academic competition among students.
And to think I applied here in part because this school wasn't like Harvard. Kevin Smith '07
Deignan sets a bad real-world example for students
Regarding '400 t-shirts confiscated in Public Safety bust' (April 26):
The recent Newman's Day episode serves as a reminder that when the University administration seeks to act as the moral conscience for students and set an example, it should be mindful of the type of example it wishes to set.
University deans are answerable to trustees, faculty, alumni and, above all, students. When the undergraduates who approached Dean Deignan enter the working world, I hope they don't think it is appropriate to tell the person who pays their salary that they can't stay late on a Friday afternoon because they've just put on their coat and are not in the mood to talk.
This is an utterly pathtetic excuse and only adds to an already flawed attempt to deal with a problem. It is a sad example to set for students. Phil Buffa '01
Maybe you should leave the teaching to the profs
Regarding '400 T-shirts confiscated in Public Safety bust' (April 26):
Kudos to Professor Appel and other members of the faculty, who acted swiftly to condemn the actions of the dean of undergraduate students. I hope the resolution introduced by Appel passes at the next meeting.
This exercise illustrates again why administrators should let professors teach the lessons. Rob Cirincione '02
I'd rather have the drunks than the thought police
Regarding '400 T-shirts confiscated in Public Safety bust' (April 26):
I have no interest in participating in Newman"s Day. To be honest, I've drank less than a case of beer during four years at Princeton, and would most probably be deceased or at least brain-dead if I attempted to do so in a single day. If given the choice, I would rather not be subjected to the side effects of my peers' marathon binge drinking.
But the notion that the vice squad will bust into a dorm room unannounced to confiscate a shirt or anything else because of what it says must throw up a red flag, regardless of one's opinion of the event.
I was looking forward to active discussion between bearers of the "Return to McCosh" and "Honor Scott" slogans, but the administration prohibited it. Freedom of speech was too unseemly for the whitewashed version of Princeton foisted on the prefrosh.
There are many ways to make students safer with respect to alcohol, but this simply cannot be one of them. Punish students drinking in public if necessary: Arrest them, expel them, sentence them to hard labor in McCosh.
But keep the thought police off our backs and out of our rooms. Elliot Holland '04
Read More
Keep academic authority in human hands
Lily Halbert-AlexanderThe Trump administration’s attacks on research and higher education as well as a blind reliance on AI chatbots are reflective of a societal backslide: a commodification of knowledge that prioritizes “efficiency” over the messy process of getting to an answer, where nuances are flattened and the truth is fungible.
The Trump administration’s attacks on research and higher education as well as a blind reliance on AI chatbots are reflective of a societal backslide: a commodification of knowledge that prioritizes “efficiency” over the messy process of getting to an answer, where nuances are flattened and the truth is fungible.
What do we owe society for a Princeton education?
Jia Cheng ShenThe social and moral responsibility that comes with receiving a degree subsidized by both private generosity and public trust is significant.
The social and moral responsibility that comes with receiving a degree subsidized by both private generosity and public trust is significant.
Notes from a so-called enemy’s classroom
Jennifer JenningsIt wasn’t revolutionary. It was homework. But it was homework that asked: how do we build schools that work for all kids? Inclusion, after all, is the “I” in DEI. That’s what we’re thinking about together. And caring about each other’s experiences and opportunities, it turns out, isn’t something you can outlaw.
It wasn’t revolutionary. It was homework. But it was homework that asked: how do we build schools that work for all kids? Inclusion, after all, is the “I” in DEI. That’s what we’re thinking about together. And caring about each other’s experiences and opportunities, it turns out, isn’t something you can outlaw.