Princeton Reverses Its Decision To Bring Undergraduates Back To Campus

Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber wrote in a letter that the health risks were too high for in-person instruction, pointing to cases of the disease that have been reported at schools that have reopened and stricter restrictions in New Jersey than previously anticipated as the state has been unable to move to stage 3 of its reopening plan.

“This combination of health concerns and restrictions will significantly diminish the educational value of the on‑campus experience,” Eisgruber wrote adding, “It will also render that experience confining and unpleasant for most students.”

Princeton announced last month that undergraduates would be able to return to campus for one semester during the upcoming academic year, with freshmen and juniors welcome in the fall and sophomores and seniors in the spring, but most classes would be online. 

Princeton had said that all undergraduates must sign a social contract affirming that they understand the university’s health and safety regulations, including face covering and social distancing rules and a mandatory quarantine for students who were in close contact with someone diagnosed with Covid-19.

Princeton previously announced a 10% tuition cut to $48,501 for the academic year but won’t make further tuition changes, spokesman Michael Hotchkiss told Bloomberg.