Since the spring, more than 40 working groups have been planning for Princeton’s fall 2020 semester. The teams of staff and faculty from departments across the University have tackled myriad health, safety, academic, and operational questions and concerns in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Princeton University researchers may have solved a long-standing mystery in conservation that could influence how natural lands are designated for the preservation of endangered species.
Around the world, the migratory shorebirds that are a conspicuous feature of coastal habitats are losing access to the tidal flats — the areas between dry land and the sea — they rely on for food as they travel and prepare to breed. But a major puzzle has been that species’ populations are plummeting several times faster than the rate at which coastal ecosystems are lost to development.
The plan asks faculty and department leadership to create procedures to resume laboratory activities while ensuring compliance with University-wide policies and public health guidance.
Princeton University awarded five honorary degrees at Princeton’s 273rd Commencement, which were conferred virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Princeton Entrepreneurship Council (PEC) has become part of the Office of the Dean for Research, reporting to Vice Dean for Innovation Rodney Priestley. The move emphasizes the role of entrepreneurship in enhancing the societal impact of innovations that emerge from research.
Princeton will decide in early July whether the undergraduate teaching program will be online or residential in the fall term. The University is exploring ways to safely and responsibly reopen Princeton’s laboratories, libraries, and other facilities when state law permits.
Message to the Princeton Community from Christopher L. Eisgruber
Dear members of the Princeton community,
Princeton University has established the Princeton University Relief Fund to provide additional direct support to community organizations that are working to alleviate economic distress related to COVID-19 among individuals and businesses. The initial University commitment to the fund will be $1 million.
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Princeton is evaluating various scenarios for campus operations next academic year. While no decisions have been made yet, the Academic Year 2021 Coordinating Committee is preparing for a number of options based on federal and state health guidelines and resources.
Produced by the PACE Center for Civic Engagement, the series includes a conversation on health care and health policy with Heather Howard, former New Jersey State Health Commissioner and current lecturer at the Woodrow Wilson School.
Early this year, experts within the New Jersey Department of Health began reviewing social media posts emerging out of China’s Hubei province, launching careful daily monitoring of the progress of the Covid-19 outbreak. On March 18 and 21, respectively, Governor Phil Murphy ordered schools to close and residents to stay home.
