The university publishes data on various aspects of the university, from student demographics to progress towards sustainability goals. We asked our columnists what other data universities should release for easy access to the public.
If Princeton University is serious about climate change, it should release its full emissions data
Thomas Buckley, Associate Opinion Editor
Princeton University has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2046. But what does that actually mean? According to the Sustainability Action Plan, the university’s goal is to “reduce direct emissions from on-site energy production and vehicle fuel use, and indirect emissions from purchased electricity.” The goal is to reduce both by 2046. However, these sources do not include emissions created by university policy, “Scope 3 emissions.” These include food purchased for dining halls, transportation for employees and visitors to and from campus, and upstream costs not included in Princeton’s calculations, such as pollution caused by companies in Plinco’s portfolio. Includes emissions from sources. Princeton University must include this data in its emissions sources.
With this emissions data, you can better understand your university’s progress toward its climate goals. In Princeton, the climate impacts of these indirect sources can be significant. Just one week of meals at Rocky Massey Dining Hall used 500 pounds of beef, the equivalent of burning his 56,000 pounds of coal. His 25,000 alumni who attend reunions each year emit emissions equal to 8% of university campus emissions. Considering all of these sources over time is essential to understanding Princeton’s true carbon impact.
Despite pledging to “track and reduce” Scope 3 indirect emissions, the university does not disclose emissions from these upstream sources. The university has pledged to track its Scope 3 emissions by “2026 and beyond”. Data should be made public as soon as it becomes available because doing so demonstrates a firm commitment to transparency and helps Princeton University take responsibility for climate change.
Thomas Buckley is an Opinion associate editor from Colchester, Vermont, majoring in SPIA. You can contact him at: thomas.buckley@princeton.edu.
Princeton administration should begin publishing grade distribution data for individual courses
Davis Hobley, Columnist
Semester after semester, Princeton University students enroll in countless courses that are said to have a “curve” of grades, but often with little or no indication of what that means for them. . To solve this problem, Princeton University publishes grade distribution data for each course on its course offering site, showing the approximate percentage of students receiving each grade and what they actually do in the course during the class period. You need to be able to know if you are performing well. Registration.
At best, certain courses, such as MAT 103, give you a rough idea of what the final grade on the syllabus will be. However, for most courses, students do not have access to the course distribution. When courses are run in this way, students in crooked courses have no idea how they are actually performing in the course. This issue is especially problematic when students do not know what grade they are scheduled to receive until after the pass/D/fail and/or drop deadline for the course.
By publishing grade distribution data, students can enroll in each course with a more accurate idea of what to expect during the semester. All grades can remain anonymous and data is easily obtained through the Registrar’s Office.
Princeton’s release of these data will greatly reduce the mystery surrounding Princeton’s academic performance. This allows students to approach each course with a clearer understanding of their expectations.
Davis Hobley is a member of the Class of 2027 and plans to major in neuroscience. He is from Rochester, Michigan and can be reached via email (dh2172@princeton.edu) and his personal Instagram (@davis_20.23).
Princeton University should publish the income distribution of the students it accepts.
Frances Brogan, Opinion Editorial Assistant
Princeton University should publish data on the percentage of admitted students and applicants in each income bracket. The university says 25% of its students pay no fees at all, and this group is made up of students from families with annual incomes of less than $100,000. But even as Princeton expands accessibility for low- and middle-income students, we still don’t know how many students from middle-class backgrounds are in each class.
According to the Daily Princetonian’s 2023 Senior Survey, respondents with annual household incomes of $80,000 to $125,000 were tied for the lowest economic group with household incomes of less than $40,000. This shows that middle-income students still face barriers to accessing a Princeton education. By withholding this data, the university obscures just how overwhelmingly wealthy Princeton remains.
If too few students are admitted in the first place, there will not be enough to accommodate low- and moderate-income students once they are admitted to Princeton. It is also important to provide data on successful students and compare them to the general applicant pool. This will further clarify the correlation between income and likelihood of success.
Frances Brogan is a first-year political science major from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She is an assistant editor at Opinion and can be reached at: frances.brogan@princeton.edu.
International students are not a monolith. Make sure your admissions data reflects that fact.
Shion Lee, Opinion Deputy Editor
14% of new students in the Class of 2027 are international students. These students are from over 64 countries and represent a highly diverse array of racial and demographic groups. However, the latest edition of Princeton University’s first-year enrollment statistics for her Class of 2027 fails to reflect this heterogeneity of the international student body. In preparation for the next release of first-year admissions statistics, Princeton University needs to more clearly explain its international admissions data.
While the statistics sheet separates U.S. citizens into various racial categories (e.g., Asian American and Black) under the “diversity” category, which describes the racial composition of the freshman class, international students treated as a monolith above and all classified into one category. Category of “international citizen”. Additionally, a domestic student can visually map her 50 states and the number of students admitted from each state, while an international student only receives a list of countries included in her first year.
Much can be gained from treating different groups of international students as distinct demographic groups from a statistical, cultural, and admissions perspective. Statistics allow international students to make educated decisions about the schools they apply to, assess the community atmosphere of their universities, and limit university diversity. International students are not a monolith, so you need to make sure Princeton University admissions statistics recognize this reality.
Siyeon Lee is a first-year student from Seoul, South Korea who plans to major in history. She is an opinion editorial assistant for “Prince.” You can contact her at: siyeonlee@princeton.edu or @siyeonish on Instagram.
Princeton University should publish test-optional statistics for admitted students
Liz Reyes, contributing columnist
In light of recent test-optional policy changes by other Ivy League institutions, it is important for Princeton University to reevaluate and clarify the admissions data it provides to potential applicants. Princeton University should publish data on the percentage of applicants who are admitted on a test-optional basis and the percentage of applicants who are admitted on a test-score basis. That way, prospective students can see how test-optional policies are actually enforced and whether being test-optional actually makes a difference in admissions to Princeton. become.
The higher your test score, the higher your income. Universities recognize this. Understanding the unique economic composition of Princeton’s student population makes it important for Princeton to publicly report the number of admitted students who submitted standardized test scores and the number of admitted students who did not. Discussions that refer to test-optional policies in college admissions also refer to the idea that submitting test scores to optional schools gives students an advantage in admissions. To combat this, Princeton University needs to release more complete data on test-optional admissions. A common dataset (an annual release of U.S. college registration and admissions data) already publishes test-optional data on admitted students, but test-optional and non-test-optional applicants. There is a lack of information on how admission rates differ between applicants.
By disaggregating and publishing admissions data based on test-optional status, Princeton University will provide much-needed transparency regarding the admissions process in light of sudden changes in testing policies across the United States. can.
Liz Reyes is a first-year contributing columnist from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, who plans to major in SPIA. You can contact her here: lizbeth.reyes@princeton.edu.
Princeton University needs to be transparent about traditional admissions
Anais Mobarak, columnist
Legacy admissions are typically thought to produce “more generous donors” because parents of alumni are often in a better financial position to donate. One wonders, “Does America have such a strong giving culture in the absence of legacy admission fees?” Just as Princeton University celebrates and provides data on fundraising efforts, it should do the same with legacy admissions to clarify the correlation of this potential fundraising effort. This data includes the average ACT/SAT score and her GPA for students whose admissions are increased by being a legacy student, or, as Chancellor Eisgruber put it, legacy status is a “tiebreaker.” Must be included.
Publishing data on the funding effects of traditional admissions would help universities make this practice transparent. If Princeton University believes that traditional admissions is a worthwhile trade-off given the funding benefits, it may continue to use non-merit-based factors in admissions to meet its financial goals. We need to acknowledge the fact that we are.
Anais Mobarak is a third-year chemistry student from Newton, Massachusetts. Contact her at am7880@princeton.edu.
