In its final meeting of the year on Dec. 5, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senate heard a report detailing an unprecedented number of disciplinary cases last year and recapped the efforts of USG committees over the past semester.
The group also discussed recent developments surrounding divestment, COVID-19 restrictions and vaccination, and winter break travel for international students.
Class Senator Reade Ben ’22 presented a report on the Residential College Disciplinary Board (RCDB) during the last academic year. Topics addressed included the large number of disciplinary probation cases, perceived Social Contract ambiguity, unequal sentencing for similar violations, misleading information on the significance of disciplinary probation, other flaws in the RCDB adjudication process, the use of private investigators and invasive interviewing techniques, and inequitable policing.
Ben indicated that disciplinary probation cases were “quadruple that of past semesters.” 579 students were found responsible for infractions, and 346 of those students were placed on disciplinary probation. 432 infractions were Social Contract violations, and 80 percent of those warranted disciplinary probation — a much higher percentage than previous years.
175 students were placed on disciplinary probation for missing more than two COVID-19 tests.
For comparison, Ben noted that in every year since 2016, most students who committed theft received Dean’s Warnings and approximately 25 percent got disciplinary probation.
“So basically, being a Princeton student last year, you were punished more severely for missing two tests than for committing criminal acts,” he said, “which seems a little bit absurd.”
Ben described other potential flaws with the disciplinary process: a disproportionate impact of sentencing for missed COVID-19 tests on first-generation low-income (FLI) students who often had no choice but to live in emergency on-campus housing during the fall 2020 semester, conflicting roles of Directors of Student Life (DSLs) as both confidantes to students and those with responsibility for disciplinary action, a lack of effective communication from administration, and what he described as the “mentally traumatizing” impact of investigations on students.
Ben concluded the report with a list of recommendations, including acquitting testing violations and “reconsidering harsher penalties for Social Contract violations.”
Chairs of each USG committee also provided overviews of their efforts over the past semester.
Social Committee Chair William Gu ’23 — a current candidate for USG vice president, along with Stephen Daniels ’24 and Hannah Kapoor ’23 — highlighted the return of Lawnparties this fall.
“A clutch move,” said Gu of the committee’s move to secure A$AP Ferg as the event’s headliner two days prior.
According to Gu, the committee is currently working on finding a way to host a Dean’s Date event next week that is in compliance with new University COVID-19 regulations. They have ordered 1,000 stadium scarves that they plan to distribute throughout the day.
Campus and Community Affairs (CCA) Chair Lehman Montgomery ’22 outlined the efforts of his committee as it sought to re-engage students after a year of virtual schooling.
Key projects included the creation of a USG Fall Fellows program that connected 23 students with seven local charities and a partnership with the Community Dining Task Force to develop a community dining pilot program.
Academics Committee Chair Austin Davis ’23 spoke about a survey sent to students on the effect of the “Princeton Plague” on academics, advocacy surrounding final exams that was implemented into memos sent to faculty, and focus groups that investigated new academic possibilities like mixed concentrations and minors.
He expressed that the committee, in collaboration with administration, will continue conversations surrounding degree options at Princeton, with the possibility of results as soon as “the end of the spring semester.”
Davis also highlighted the upcoming virtual certificate expo that will take place on Jan. 18 and 19, as well as declaration open houses in the spring.
Sustainability Committee Chair Mayu Takeuchi ’23 — a current candidate for USG president, along with Jasman Singh ’23 — summarized efforts to amplify student voices in sustainability conversations on campus, especially with regards to fossil fuel divestment.
“We literally have students in the divestment conversation where they never have been able to be before,” said USG President Christian Potter ’22.
“Thinking about how our campus impacts sustainability in other communities has been an important part of our work this semester,” Takeuchi added, describing how all campus waste is shipped to a landfill in a low-income community in Pennsylvania as an example of the types of issues that the committee is working to raise awareness about.
Potter delivered the final President’s Report of his term. He emphasized USG’s efforts in the past week to advocate for the distribution of testing kits upon students’ return from Thanksgiving break, more clarity from administration with regards to new COVID-19 restrictions, and the addition of undergraduate-only booster clinics.
He noted that an additional Moderna clinic for undergraduates was being held on Dec. 7, and that USG is advocating for more Pfizer clinics as well.
The University administered over 400 booster shots to students last Thursday, according to USG Vice President Ashwin Mahadevan ’22.
Potter also noted that USG is coordinating with the Office of the Dean of the College to find potential solutions for international students following the message from the Davis International Center on Friday, Dec. 3.
“It’s been a really tough year,” Potter said as the meeting neared its end. “We’ve emerged from one version of a pandemic to another.”
With excitement, he celebrated USG’s work this year to bring back the “little elements of life” that make Princeton special and to affect “so much really positive change.”
“I think we should all be really really proud of the work that we’ve done,” Potter concluded.
USG Senate meetings are held in Robertson Hall Room 016 at 8 p.m. on Sunday evenings and are open to all. While Sunday’s meeting was the final one of the semester, sessions will resume after winter break.
Annie Rupertus is a first-year and a News and Print Design contributor for the ‘Prince.’ She can be reached at arupertus@princeton.edu or @annierupertus on Instagram and Twitter.
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