Princeton should put first-year family weekend back where it belongs

I saw my family two weeks ago. Thanksgiving is just two weeks away. But the University seems to think that this weekend, Nov. 7–8, is the perfect time to invite first-year families to campus.

Princeton students have ample time to spend with family and friends during the back end of the fall semester, including a nine-day fall recess and a five-day break for Thanksgiving. Some of my peers managed to both travel to other cities and visit their families at home in October. Even some of my international friends had the chance to visit home.

But rather than scheduling family weekend before our two fall recesses, as Princeton has done for the classes of 2026, 2027, and 2028, the University seems to think that first-year students need to see their families the third Saturday after midterms.

Or, more likely, this was more convenient scheduling for the University. Much like the recent dining plan changes, this subpar scheduling is the University failing to coordinate its administrative planning with considerations for student well-being. Perhaps this placement is a one-off, but in future years, to truly live up to its student well-being commitments, the University must more intentionally coordinate its scheduling with academic considerations.

September is where the parent visit weekend needs to stay. The first month of the school year is the most homesick time for many students, but this year, students were isolated until fall break, then inundated with family obligations during one of the busiest times of the semester.

While few weekends are particularly free for Princeton students, it seems to me that November — and, apparently, the weeks just after first-year family weekend — are particularly full. My heftiest readings of the semester coincide with my parents’ visit, and I also owe a 25-minute oral report the following Wednesday. Beyond my personal gripes, many first-year writing seminars have a seven-page research prospectus due during this particular November weekend. Considering these typical commitments, the University’s family weekend scheduling is, at best, inconsiderate.

But the new schedule is surely not a random, unconsidered change. Perhaps the University hopes to showcase the newly unveiled Princeton University Art Museum, which opened just this past weekend. Studio hours in this world-class space are featured on the weekend’s event schedule.

Families will also catch Princeton as the leaves are changing, and they’ll hear from President Christopher L. Eisgruber ’83 in the midst of his publicity tour discussing his book “Terms of Respect,” which was published on Sept. 30. First-year families may even peruse the shelves at Labyrinth Books and pick up a copy while in town. This upcoming weekend’s festivities are perfectly timed to align with Princeton’s institutional priorities, but not so much with the needs of first-year students.

That said, the University is not beholden to student interests in its scheduling. Perhaps there is a different reason for the schedule change than those I suggest above; however, it seems a fairly simple notion to coordinate with the Writing Program and First-Year Seminar faculty to avoid placing undue stress on students who are looking to enjoy time with their families, in what seems like as many weeks.

The University’s Strategic Framework recognizes student well-being as “critical to the University’s mission.” The University has affirmed this commitment many times, in both nominal and substantive ways. But the placement of family weekend represents an institutional failure to coordinate student life, academic priorities, and administrative priorities such that they coexist rather than clash.

In this case, there are fairly simple institutional changes that the University could promote to enhance the student experience with no loss to academic function. A simple extension of deadlines in first-year classes over family weekend or, better yet, a reversion to the previous family weekend calendar placement in future years would be far better for student well-being.

Contributing Opinion Writer Ian Rosenzweig ’29 is a prospective SPIA major from Bryn Mawr, Pa. He can be reached at ir2411[at]princeton.edu.