Princeton Undergraduate Student Government

• Yes, we could. But doing so significantly decreases the symbolic impact of the donation.
• Can we really say we made a sacrifice if we decided to party with a lesser-known band rather than a popular band?
  

If we chose to donate from the USG concert budget, we would be losing one of the greatest traditions of this University.

• First, lawn parties as a whole would not be affected. Only one of many concerts would not take place; other eating clubs are still likely to sponsor concerts of their own.
• Second, the outdoor lawn parties USG concert is a tradition that began around 2002-2003. Yes, it is a valued tradition, but it is not one that cannot be sacrificed for tradition's sake.

The donation, especially if towards Annual Giving, would cause alumni to donate less.

• There is no true way to determine alumni donation behavior as a result of this referendum if it passes.
• However, Provost Eisgruber is "certain" that the donation would actually spur alumni to donate more.

If we chose to donate to Annual Giving, our donation would just be a drop in the bucket.

• Princeton's Annual Giving is historically so great because of these small "drop" donations.
• With this logic, every donor would have no purpose to make their small donation, and Annual Giving would have much less funds to work with.
• Remember that it's not just the amount of our donation that counts, but also our action of donating that counts.

Where do Annual Giving funds go?

• Annual Giving funds are flexible in that they can go to any part of the University that betters the student experience.
• However, given the economic situation and the University's dedication to financial aid, any marginal dollars donated to Annual Giving now will go straight to financial aid.

Why give to Annual Giving to help with financial aid when the University has said that it is not making any cuts to financial aid?

• Currently, there is no lump sum saved for financial aid. The University's dedication to financial aid signifies that it is putting financial aid at the top of its priorities list.
• Annual Giving is one of the major contributors to financial aid. Without Annual Giving, financial aid would have to be cut.
• In reality, the money for the dedication to increase financial aid comes from further cuts in University budgets, ultimately placing strain on the entire University system. So donating towards Annual Giving benefits students who are on financial aid, and students who are not.

Why don't we give the money to a charity that needs it more than the University?

• The funds come out of student expenses and must ultimately be allocated towards furthering the undergraduate experience.
• The new referendum now gives the choice for students to donate towards the Pace Center to both enhance the undergraduate experience and help the community.

Why the Pace Center?

• The Pace budget direclty impacts the Princeton undergraduate experience. Hundreds of students participate in SVC, Community House, and other civic engagement activities under the Pace Center.
• As a result of the economic crisis, the Pace Center's budget has been cut significantly. The current financial situation has a detrimental impact on future break trips and other civic engagement activities that we may have taken for granted in the past.

It is unfair for the USG to just throw our tuition where they think is best.

• That is why this referendum is all about choice: the student body is not losing any rights, but rather gaining the right to choose.
• Also, the USG's decisions are made by the senators, who are elected representatives of the student body.

Whose idea was this? Did the University administration or Pace approach the USG on this matter?

• The answer is no. The idea came from discussion among executive members of the USG. Neither the Pace Center nor the University administration approached the USG to solicit student support.
  

Please e-mail Peter Tzeng with any further concerns, or with any questions you wish to be answered on this FAQ.

The USG Senate approved a revised version of the referendum in response to student feedback and concerns. The changes are outlined below.

Students may now choose to donate from two sources:

• the fall USG lawn parties concert budget ($60,000) and any remaining funds from the USG social budget after this semester
• the Senate Pilot Program budget ($20,000) and any remaining funds from the Pilot Program budget after this semester

Donating the USG lawn parties concert budget would effectively cause the USG not to host a concert at fall lawn parties 2009. Lawn parties would still happen, with the many bands that the eating clubs privately sponsor. The Senate Pilot Program budget is traditionally allocated towards study breaks, USG initiatives, pet projects, etc. It is separate from Projects Board funds.

Students may now choose to donate either or both of the aforementioned sources (independently) to two recipients:

• Annual Giving
• the Pace Center for Civic Engagement

Both potential recipients have dealt with significant impacts from the financial crisis. Donating towards Annual Giving, as of now, would effectively contribute towards University Financial Aid. Donating towards the Pace Center will help fund student civic engagement activities.

All in all, this referendum is about giving the student body choice. Traditionally, the USG has allocated the funds through decisions made by the student body's elected representatives. In light of the economic downturn, we are now offering you the opportunity to have a say in where the money goes.

Connor's letter to the student body regarding the revised referendum may be found here.

Dear Students,

The grading policy at Princeton is an issue that the USG has been attempting to address for quite some time given its gravity for the student body.

Over the course of this semester, other USG members and I have been soliciting student input on grade deflation. One main concern we have heard is that employers and institutions without a well-established rapport with the university are often unfamiliar with our unique grading policy. After evaluating the current services available, we have concluded that the current distribution of information on Princeton’s grading policy is insufficient.

If the policy itself is not going to change, then we need to work proactively to increase awareness of it among future employers, other academic institutions, foundations and non-profits. We need to ensure that all relevant parties know Princeton grading is more rigorous and demanding than that of many peer institutions.

I have been working on two initiatives to ameliorate this problem. The first is an official letter that I collaborated on with the Dean of the College, Nancy Malkiel, explaining our grading system and how it sets us apart from our peer institutions. This official correspondence will now be readily available to all students to use at their discretion. I have attached the letter to this email- please include it with any paper or online applications you may complete.

The second is a new service (developed in cooperation with Career Services and the Dean of the College) which gives students a way to take part in official communication about Princeton’s grading system. This service allows currently enrolled Princeton students to log in and request that official correspondence be sent on their behalf, via email, to the address of their choice. Employers or graduate schools will receive an email from Career Services and the aforementioned letter from Dean Malkiel. Employers will be encouraged to contact Career Services with any additional questions regarding the email or our policy. This service can be found here:

https://ocsweb-dev.princeton.edu/oncamp/gradingpolicyletter.php

Every time we use this system, we are helping ourselves in addition to our classmates. I hope this service will be a step forward in making the current system work for us in the best way possible.

Sincerely,
Connor Diemand-Yauman, ‘10

The USG has proposed a referendum for the student body to vote on a $60,000+ donation to Annual Giving. The money would come out of the USG's social budget dedicated to the USG concert at fall lawn parties ($60,000), and would also include any money remaining from the USG social budget at the end of this semester. Amidst confusion and discussion, it is important to keep the facts of the donation straight.

The Sacrifice of the Donation

• The USG would not host a concert during fall lawn parties in 2009.
  
• Fall lawn parties would still happen, as the majority of concerts are sponsored by the individual eating clubs.
• Upcoming spring lawn parties would still happen in its entirety, including a concert sponsored by the USG.

The Impact of the Donation

• The donation would equate to $60,000 plus the amount that remains in the USG social budget at the end of this semester (after Spring Lawn Parties 2009).
  
• The donation would be a powerful message that shows how the student body actively supports the University.
• The donation would unify the student body with the rest of the University community to fight the global economic downturn, and thus have a strong symbolic significance.

Why Annual Giving?

• Annual Giving is a major contributor to financial aid, which has a very direct impact on our closest friends.
  

Why a referendum?

• The USG has the ability to allocate the mentioned funds with the approval of the USG Senate. However, we do not want to take action without a student mandate. As such, we are proposing this referendum to determine student opinion on the matter.

This Wednesday, April 22, from 8pm to 9pm at McCosh 10, there will be a forum open to all students to discuss this referendum with the USG. You are all invited and strongly encouraged to attend. If you wish to make a formal statement at the referendum, please e-mail Peter Tzeng, USG Communications Director.

Happy you’re done with your thesis but sad that graduation is so close? Want to leave your mark on Princeton, but don't have enough money to donate a building (yet)? If so, we invite you to participate in USG and Sustained Dialogue's Senior Dialogue: Perspectives on Princeton. We want to know the good and the bad—the joyous and the sad—in order to understand which changes would most benefit our campus community.

Please join us for a special dinner and dialogue led by Sustained Dialogue moderators by indicating your availability for two 1 ½-hour blocks at our Doodle page. In the concluding stage of dialogue, each group will draw up with a set of recommendations on how the University can be improved. Let us know what the last four years has meant to you, so you can shape the experiences of Princeton undergrads for years to come.

For more information, please contact Colette Biervliet-Schranz or Snow Li.