PGSU circulated a petition earlier this month calling on the University to lengthen all graduate student fellowships, benefits, enrollment statuses, time-to-degree deadlines, and international student support by a year.
The petition outlines 16 demands, which seek to establish a “universal floor for all of the Princeton community members,” according to Hrishi Somayaji GS, one of the petition’s authors. Somayaji expressed hope that the University will standardize compensation and other policies across academic departments.
The program would require students to complete one half-term course related to diversity and inclusion from a list pre-authorized by administrators. The proposal takes inspiration from the newly announced Culture and Difference distribution requirement for undergraduate students, which will commence with the Class of 2024 this fall.
“When I think about GCAP, I think, ‘Gosh, am I looking a gift horse in the mouth?’ All of this is an extreme privilege,” said Kristin Isaacs, the wife of Cory Isaacs, a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Woodrow Wilson School. “I want to be thankful and I am thankful, but it’s just not enough.”
The University had also taken an active role in advocating for Wang’s 2019 release. In a statement this morning, President Christopher Eisgruber expressed his joy regarding the release, and his gratitude towards all parties who mediated the release.
At 5:00 p.m. yesterday, students, faculty, and community members held a vigil in honor of Xiyue Wang, a Ph.D. student in History who has been detained in Iran for over three years on charges of espionage.
The University’s Graduate School’s latest admissions cycle welcomed “the most diverse group of incoming graduate students to Princeton,” according to a Sept. 12 University press release.
“One of the things we are trying to do is keep things alive and do more than just hold a vigil every single year to remind people of the situation,” said graduate student Mikey McGovern, president of student group Free Xiyue Wang. “We want to actually turn consciousness into action.”
On Friday night, Assistant Vice President for Communications Dan Day confirmed that professor Sergio Verdú was dismissed from the faculty as of Sept. 22 following a University investigation into his conduct in relation to University policies that prohibit consensual relations with students and require honesty and cooperation in University matters.
The plan was to occupy East Pyne. After the protesters entered the classroom, they read their reasons for striking from their “manifesto.” They also encouraged students to walk out and join them. Only one unnamed professor knew of their plans and walked out with the students.
A search committee has been formed to find the replacement for Dean of the Graduate School William Russel, who announced on Sept.