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System solves problem of overburdened MAAs

From seniors Jeff Bozman and Lily Johnston, student co-chairs of the Residential Advising Review and Recommendation Committee:

While we on the RARRC appreciate the sentiment behind the editorial of Oct. 13 ('Acting on good advice'), we wish to clarify several statements that do not accurately reflect the decisions made by the committee or the rationale behind them.

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The Minority Affairs Adviser has been one of the best resources for minority students at Princeton. These outstanding advisers have helped countless undergraduates find community and acceptance at Princeton and have helped the University welcome, support and engage these students.

The growth in the number of minority students at Princeton and the increased diversity within this group were one of the many factors the RARRC was asked to consider last year in its holistic evaluation of the residential advising system. As the concept of diversity has expanded to include issues of religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and sexual orientation it became clear to the committee that the role of Minority Affairs Adviser had expanded enormously, placing unreasonable expectations on only four or five advisors in each college.

After seven months of research, including conversations with advisors, underclassmen and college staff, our primary recommendation was to merge the RA and MAA positions. In no way does our report minimize the importance of the MAA program or the contributions of the MAAs themselves. Rather, our research showed — not surprisingly — that issues of diversity are even more important today than they were when the MAA program was conceived, and that the current dual-adviser system places serious burdens on MAAs, in terms both of duties and numbers of advisees.

The Council of Masters did not authorize the RARRC to recommend a change in the University-wide budget for the advising program. As such, there was no way for us to increase the number of advisors without compromising the compensation or resources of all advisors. Rather than simply expanding the MAA portfolio, the committee streamlined the system by crafting an advisor position that gives every adviser an integral role in sustaining Princeton's commitment to diversity.

As the editorial noted, the new system gives Princeton the opportunity to expand its support network for students in the residential colleges and to further increase awareness of minority concerns. An expanded commitment to teamwork among these new advisers — building on a concept already in place — will ensure that advisees receive the highest quality support and guidance during their years in the residential colleges.

This year, the RARRC has been reconstituted and expanded to include members of each core group and college staff. There are important questions about recruitment, hiring, organization and training that we look forward to solving with the help of current advisors. Please do not hesitate to contact any of the members of the committee with concerns or suggestions. For the Record gives subjects of 'Prince' coverage a chance to respond with their concerns.

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