Princeton College’s Board of Trustees has established an advert hoc committee led by Trustee José Alvarez, Class of 1985, to look at the College’s admissions insurance policies within the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court docket ruling this yr prohibiting most larger training establishments from contemplating race, ethnicity and nationwide origin when choosing candidates for admission. 

The committee’s work will probably be guided by the 2 key ideas that undergird Princeton’s admissions course of: merit-driven admissions and the crucial to draw and assist gifted college students from all sectors of society, together with underrepresented teams. 

The committee’s suggestions are anticipated by the top of the 2023-24 educational yr.

“The College will probably be in full compliance with the Supreme Court docket ruling for the 2023-24 admissions cycle,” mentioned President Christopher L. Eisgruber. “However this ruling additionally comes after a worldwide pandemic and amid a big growth of the undergraduate scholar physique. It’s a good time to take a broader look and guarantee our admissions insurance policies on the whole are optimally serving the College’s mission.”

This admissions cycle will function new essay prompts within the undergraduate software, in addition to new procedures that make race, ethnicity and nationwide origin info collected from candidates unavailable to College personnel (together with directors and school) concerned within the analysis of candidates. As well as, the College is educating all such personnel to facilitate compliance with the Supreme Court docket’s resolution.   

The advert hoc committee will take into account longer-term modifications and is charged with reviewing admissions-related knowledge and traits, inspecting Princeton’s admissions insurance policies and practices, and recommending any changes earlier than the board’s Might 2024 assembly.

Along with Alvarez, its members are Jackson A. Artis ’20, Joshua B. Bolten ’76, Beth F. Cobert ’80, Marisa J. Demeo ’88, Janeria A. Easley *16, Blair W. Effron ’84, President Eisgruber ’83, Lori D. Fouché ’91, Philip U. Hammarskjold ’87, Kimberly H. Johnson ’95, Carol Quillen *91, Louise S. Sams ’79, Bradford L. Smith ’81, and Melissa H. Wu ’99. College Vice President and Secretary Hilary A. Parker ’01 will function secretary to the committee.

Instantly after the Supreme Court docket’s resolution, President Eisgruber reaffirmed Princeton’s dedication to “entice distinctive individuals of each background and allow them to flourish on our campus.” Princeton’s aim, he mentioned, is “to protect — and, certainly, develop — the range of our group whereas absolutely respecting the legislation.”  

Princeton’s Board of Trustees periodically establishes advert hoc committees to discover particular subjects, similar to campus naming and iconography (2020), Woodrow Wilson’s legacy at Princeton (2015), entry for lower-income college students (2013), and range of college, grad college students and directors (2012).