'Scholars' program promotes service

The Wilson School announced Friday the creation of a new program — dubbed "Scholars in the Nation's Service" — designed to encourage more University students to explore careers in the federal government, especially in the international relations sector.

"Without a competent, effective, committed government, no amount of public spirit and public service will do the job we need done," Wilson School Dean Anne-Marie Slaughter '80 said at an announcement Friday. "Government service has to be the core of public service."

"We believe this program breaks new ground," Slaughter added. "At the same time, we hope other schools of public and international affairs will follow our lead, to increase the prestige and attraction of government service nationwide."

Beginning in each student's junior year, the six-year program will include financing for and help getting a summer internship, as well as two years of funding for a government job and a master's degree in public affairs from the Wilson School.

The program, which will begin next fall with five juniors from the Class of 2008, is not limited to Wilson School majors but is open to students across the University. Slaughter said that students with a background in a natural science, physics or a "hard language," such as Arabic or Chinese, are highly encouraged to apply.

In her announcement, Slaughter cited the statistic that only one in 10 students considers working for the federal government after graduation and that only 29 percent think that government service is public service.

The students will work closely with the Wilson School and the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit organization, to secure federal government internships paid for by the University between their junior and senior years.

In the event that the students' post-graduation federal job cannot be funded by the government, the Wilson School will cover their salaries. The school will also provide scholarship funds to cover the cost of the students' MPAs.

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The costs of the first group of scholars will be covered by earnings on $2 million in endowment funds from outside donors who wished to support the undergraduate portion of the program. The rest of the program will be supported by earnings on $10 million in funds from the Robertson Foundation.

President Tilghman, who spoke at the conference where the initiative was announced, said she is excited to introduce this program .

"We are doing our part in identifying bright, young, ambitious and truly dedicated individuals who will go into the federal government and will be able to solve many of the structural problems that exist there today," Tilghman said. "We are going to need [these students] in the future for this country."

The motives behind the creation of the program, however, were immediately called into question.

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"I'm quite suspicious of anything Princeton does because pretty much everything that they have done in this matter is to improve their litigation position," said Bill Robertson '72, who is suing the University for misuse of Wilson School funds.

The lawsuit began in July 2002, when the three family trustees on the foundation's board — led by Bill Robertson, the son of original donors Charles '26 and Marie — filed suit against Princeton, Tilghman and the foundation's three University-designated trustees.

The Robertsons allege that the University has misused the foundation's funds, which they say are intended to support the Wilson School's graduate program and to place its graduates in federal government jobs, especially in foreign policy. The University denies any misuse and says it does a good job of placing graduates in the public sector.

Though Robertson conceded that the program does address issues at the core of the Robertson Foundation's mission, he said, "the problem is it's just miniscule, and there's absolutely no indication that Princeton is truly changing it's approach.

"I have to say that if they had done a couple of these kinds of things 45 years ago, it might have been encouraging, but I'm afraid that we just think that there's no chance that Princeton can change its stripes," Robertson added.

In a press conference after the announcement, Slaughter denied that the program's creation was a legal tactic. "If the lawsuit were dropped tomorrow, we would continue this initiative as wholeheartedly as we are now," she said.

Douglas Eakeley, lead counsel for the University in the case, also dismissed Robertson's allegations.

"This is the most recent of a number of spectacular initiatives that reflect [Slaughter's] own view of public policy, what the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs stands for," he said. "In other words, to a certain extent, the litigation has got in the way of these initiatives because they have taken up so much time and attention. They have been a grave source of preoccupation and distraction and have inhibited Dean Slaughter's ability to do her job."

— Includes reporting by Princetonian Senior Writer Jennifer Epstein.