Eisgruber says ‘absolutely’ to staying on until at least 2027

With the release of his latest book 12 years into his tenure, University Christopher Eisgruber ’83 says he’s not done yet.

“Right now, I feel energetic,” Eisgruber said in an interview with The Daily Princetonian. “I feel enthusiastic about the community of Princeton University and the mission of Princeton University.”

Eisgruber has been president of Princeton since 2013. His current contract was renewed in 2022 and runs through the end of 2027. His tenure is one of the longest in the Ivy League currently, beaten only by Brown University President Christina Paxson, who has served for 13 years and will continue until at least 2028.

Every other Ivy League president has been replaced in the past two years, many of them forced out amid national firestorms. Columbia University has seen three presidents in a little over one year, and the leaders of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University resigned in quick succession following a December 2023 congressional hearing on antisemitism.

“Terms of Respect,” released Sept. 30, is Eisgruber’s first book since 2007. In it, he argues that colleges have better free speech environments than depicted in national media, and explores his view for how university leaders should foster campus discourse.

Despite current disputes between the Trump administration and American universities, Eisgruber sees Princeton and its peers as the strongest they’ve ever been.

“I feel enthusiastic about the community of Princeton University and the mission of Princeton University,” said Eisgruber. “From my standpoint, what I want to do in this book, is say why these institutions matter so much, why I care so deeply about them, and why, despite all the things that are hard about the job, I remain very energized, committed to doing it, happy being Princeton’s president.”

“I continue to love the place, and I continue to find the position rewarding. So that’s one where, [if] somebody sees this book as a conclusion, it is not that. It’s a statement of why I love what I do,” he said.

Eisgruber’s “Terms of Respect” included praise from Lee Bollinger, the longest-serving Ivy League president and a fellow constitutional lawyer. Bollinger was president of Columbia from 2002 to 2023.

Eisgruber served as University provost for nine years before beginning his tenure.

“I started off in my job saying, look, I’m going to keep doing this as long as I remain happy and engaged and excited, and the board remains enthusiastic about having me as president,” he said. “We’re just going to take that as time goes.”

Cynthia Torres is an associate News editor and Archives contributor. She is from New Bedford, Massachusetts and typically covers University administration. She can be reached at ct3968[at]princeton.edu