The town-gown relationship in Princeton might be improving.
By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Staff Writer
The town-gown relationship in Princeton might be improving.
In the first meeting of its kind, the Princeton Council hosted the president of Princeton University at Witherspoon Hall on Dec. 2.
”I see it as a step in improving and building our town-gown relationship,” said Mayor Liz Lempert.
The mayor and council welcomed Christopher Eisgruber, the 20th president of Princeton University, who took the helm of the school on July 1.
”This place is home to me,” President Eisgruber said. “I’m happy to be here as president and a citizen of town.”
President Eisgruber said the meeting could be the beginning of a more constructive relationship between the university and the town. He said there would still be issues that university and town officials don’t see eye-to-eye on as well as serious disagreements but they would take place in a context of respect going forward.
One of the issues that has fractured the town-gown relationship, moving the Dinky train station, came up during public comment but was not addressed during the meeting.
Three out of the four speakers during public comment urged the president to change course with the project. More than four months have passed since New Jersey Transit, acting at the bidding of Princeton University, stopped train service to the historic Princeton Station on University Place and instituted service at a “temporary” station 1,200 feet to the south.
Residents who want to save the Dinky station have petitioned the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for a stay of the ruling permitting New Jersey Transit to abandon public rights in the historic station, which New Jersey Transit and Princeton University opposed.
Another topic the mayor said would not be discussed at the meeting is the university’s voluntary contribution to the town. Instead, the president and town officials reflected on two areas where the town and school have recently worked well together — the meningitis B outbreak and public safety issues.
President Eisgruber said the town and university should try to identify other projects they can work on together such as library services and recreational group activities.
Councilman Lance Liverman reminisced about a time when Princeton University gave Princetonians free tickets to football and basketball games and first dibs on jobs in the school community.
”It made us feel like the university is part of our town,” Councilman Liveman said.
President Eisgruber said expanding outreach networks “would be a good thing” but he noted the university has to hire the best person for the job.
”I don’t know the feeling you had growing up here,” President Eisgruber said, adding that partnerships like the Dillon League, a current pairing of university students with the Dillon Gym Youth Basketball League, may recreate that feeling again.
”There may be other possibilities,” the president said. “Looking for these kinds of wins are important to us.”
The president outlined his current goals at the university.
”I’m in the process of formulating my own agenda in the midst of a listening tour,” he said.
When people ask him what he’s going to do, he replies “listen before making judgments” by having conversations on and off campus. He also said he plans to do everything he can to advance university services to the nation and all nations by focusing on university research. The challenges with that at this time are budget pressures due to decreased federal and public funding, he said.
The president also said he wants to sustain the quality and excellence of what the university is doing and to shepherd forth the initiatives already in progress in the arts, neuroscience, energy, the environment and international partnerships.
”Connections in other parts of the world are important to us,” President Eisgruber said, adding the university must educate students for a global environment and that he recently traveled to Seoul, Beijing and Hong Kong to meet with alumni for that cause.
The university is also planning for a new childcare facility, discussing online education strategies and reviewing renovation options for some campus buildings, according to the president.
President Eisgruber was also very candid when it came to expressing his desire for increasing the university’s undergraduate student population. He said the school is currently admitting at a lower rate, which means capable students are being turned down.
”Expanding the student body would help let us respond with more yeses than we are able to give,” he said, adding that doing so would require an internal trustee process and public vetting, which took three years the last time in 2000. When the mayor asked the president what the town could do to improve relations with the university, the president said inviting him to the meeting was a good first step in creating open channels of communication.
”Discussion outside of past issues makes discussion easier,” he said.
The president said the town could also work with the university to look for opportunities that would be win/wins for the university and town.
”I hope you can reach out to us if we can be helpful and I’ll continue stand guard” ready to report on areas where the university could use the town’s help, he said.
President Eisgruber also noted that university processes have public meetings associated with them.
”Most initiatives require open meetings before a decision is formulated and afterward,” he said.
Mayor Lempert said the town hopes it started a new tradition by inviting the university president to a meeting with town officials.
President Eisenberg said conversations are important and that he would like to have regular meetings with town officials.
”We don’t have to be magicians to continue these conversations,” he said.