The Graduate U-Council

MINUTES

Minutes of a meeting of the Council of the Princeton University Community, April 10, 2000. Present were Ms. Abrams-Primack, Mr. Allard, Mr. Bailey, Mr. Berneman, Ms. Briggs, Professor Craeger, Mr. Creesy, Mr. Dressner, Mr. Fattorossa, Ms. Halliday (secretary), Ms. Ham, Ms. Igo, Mr. Jagtap, Mr. Kim, Ms. Makuchowski, Dean Malkiel, Mr. Miller, Professor Muldoon, Mr. Nemeroff, Provost Ostriker, Ms. Rosen, President Shapiro, Dr. Spies, Mr. Vere, Mr. Wright. Absent were Professor Augst, Professor Babby, Ms. Bedford, Professor Bergman, Dean Deignan, Mr. DeRose, Mr. Ditter, Professor Duffy, Mr. Garcia, Professor Glucksberg, Ms. Hargittai, Mr. Harris, Ms. Joyner, Professor Li, Dr. Marks, Professor Martonosi, Professor Mendelberg, Ms. Muller-Landau, Professor Page, Mr. Primer, Dr. Riley, Professor Rouse, Professor Socolow, Rev. Strasburger, Professor Wildberg.

The President asked whether there were questions concerning the minutes of the March 8 meeting. There being none, the minutes were adopted in the form in which they had been previously distributed.

The President invited questions from the Council. A graduate student asked about the possibility of adding dental care to the health plan, noting that this is included in the health plans of many competitive institutions. Mr. Spies replied that for the past several years the primary objective had been to improve health care coverage and to bring down costs. With these objectives in mind, dental care had not been added.

Another graduate student asked about the future of the Graduate College which had recently been one of several locations under study as a possible site for a residential college. Mr. Spies explained that the intention had been to look at the widest variety of possible sites, and it was in this context that the Graduate College had been considered. The result of the study by the University's architectural consultants was a selection of 3-4 locations considered for a variety of reasons to be the most desirable. Mr. Spies commented that in the past graduate students had expressed a clear preference for housing more similar to the Lawrence apartments, and the thought had been that devoting the Graduate College to undergraduates would allow construction of new, more appropriate housing for graduate students. However the recent survey showed that graduate students now view the GC as a desirable place to live and work. Mr. Spies offered to return to the topic of graduate student housing at a later date.

Finally, a member of the administrative staff asked for clarification of a recommendation in the Wythes Committee report that administrative staff be reduced. The President responded that the Committee had focused attention on long-term goals informed by data from the past 20-25 years. The rate of growth of administrative staff since the 1980s had been appreciable and relatively greater than in other areas of University life. The Trustees had recommended that the University review such increases carefully. With new fields of inquiry being pursued and the possibility of a larger undergraduate student body, it might in fact be necessary to increase administrative staff in certain areas.

Report of the Resources Committee

The President asked Professor Herbst, chair of the Resources Committee, to report on the work his Committee had undertaken during the year to clarify University policies with respect to sweatshop issues. Professor Herbst thanked his Committee and all those who had contributed their ideas concerning these important issues. The questions the Committee confronted concerned use of the University^Òs name, specifically as regards licensees, but also the broader societal question of how international companies are regulated in the emerging global economy. The CPUC had asked the Committee in December 1998 to look at policies with respect to sweatshop labor. The Committee had carried out extensive research, including conversations with other universities. Professor Herbst described some of the complex issues involved, in part due to the nature of the apparel industry, which uses many different manufacturers in many different countries and which is one of the first industries that poor countries adopt. These complexities, the global nature of the questions and analytic uncertainty confronting solutions had led the Committee to recommend that Princeton focus where the University could make the most impact, on the Fair Labor Association. Vice President Durkee was the University representative on that organization^Òs board, and therefore the University could have an active role in shaping the association. He added that Princeton^Òs licensees had been asked to divulge the locations of their factories and almost all had already complied.

The report of the Resources Committee had been distributed in advance to the Council and is included here as Appendix A. Professor Herbst summarized the main recommendations brought forward by his Committee:

-- As an academic institution, Princeton University can make contributions through instruction about issues related to sweatshop labor. Next year, at the recommendation of the Committee, the Woodrow Wilson School would offer a course on fair wage standards. -- The FLA is developing a system of world-wide monitors. Princeton students would be given opportunities to help gather, manage, track, and evaluate data. -- The Resources Committee would continue to monitor the FLA and the issues related to sweatshop labor in accordance with their charge, to ^Óconsider, on behalf of the Council, questions of general policy concerning the procurement and management of the University's financial resources. (CPUC Charter, 5.5.1)

Discussion followed Professor Herbst's report. One student member of SPEAC, a campus group focused on these questions, asked why the Committee rejected joining the WRC (the Workers' Rights Consortium). To make best use of time and energy, the Committee had recommended membership in only one organization at this time, and the philosophy of and administrative links to the FLA had argued for this connection. Students expressed the hope for continued dialogue on these subjects. Professor Herbst agreed, characterizing the issues as complex transnational efforts to impose regulations on off-shore industries, involving universities, consumers, governments and others.

The President thanked Professor Herbst and his Committee, saying that he would report on the work of the Committee and the CPUC discussion to the Trustees at their April meeting.

Update on Career Services

The President then invited the Director of Career Services, Beverly Hamilton-Chandler, to give an overview of the year. Among the changes Ms. Hamilton-Chandler had implemented over the course of the year making greater, more effective use of information technology ranked high. For example, Princeton now participates in virtual career fairs with other Ivy League institutions; outreach, job postings, and information about careers are all Web-based, and Web information for graduate students had been revamped. Princeton was also now partnering with other institutions in developing greater networks for non-profit careers. Increased use of Web-based resources had fundamentally changed the way in which her office provided services and communicated with prospective employers and students.

Ms. Hamilton-Chandler summarized steps taken to track undergraduate and graduate student choices of careers after graduation. Among undergraduates, careers in consulting and investment banking continue to be highly attractive in part because of compensation levels. Thanks to recommendations of the Priorities Committee, she would be able to add a staff member which would help improve even more the services that the office could provide.

Students expressed interest in locating Career Services closer to central campus. In answer to questions Ms. Hamilton-Chandler described in more detail plans to increase access to information about non-profit careers, including the possibility of a non-profit job fair in the future, and efforts to do more outreach to identify summer internships.

The President expressed his personal gratitude to Ms. Hamilton-Chandler for the initiatives she was creating in Career Services.

250th Anniversary Teaching Initiatives

Next, Dean Malkiel described some of the recent successful proposals for grants from the 250th Anniversary Teaching Initiatives intended to enhance the quality and effectiveness of courses at Princeton. Fifteen faculty proposals had been funded this year, focusing for example on innovative pedagogy, introductory courses for new distributions requirements, American Studies, writing courses and courses to strengthen the sophomore year experience. Students during the discussion expressed enthusiasm for enrichment of the sophomore year and for recent courses that have made use of information technology and the Web. The President thanked the Dean for her report and for overseeing such an effective program.

Undergraduate Student Government Survey

Mr. Kim described a recent survey created, distributed and analyzed by the Undergraduate Student Government on student views of Princeton. Responses numbered approximately 600, and Mr. Kim read selections to illustrate the main themes that emerged from the survey. Among topics repeatedly mentioned are the following:

-- Students highly appreciate the exceptional academic experience Princeton offers -- Campus life outside the classroom needs improvement -- Diversity is of high importance ^Ö racial diversity but also geographic, economic, career orientation, etc.

Mr. Kim stressed that students were very willing, indeed, were eager to help the University develop plans for the future, especially with respect to improving student life. They appreciate being consulted early when important decisions are under consideration.

The President thanked Mr. Kim and said that he would make the survey available to Trustees.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Ann Halliday Secretary