Graduate School Dean Rodney Priestley sent his fall message to the University's almost 3,400 graduate students on Tuesday, September 3, the first day of the new semester. The full text of the message is below.

Dear Princeton Graduate Students, 

Welcome to the 2024 – 2025 academic year! 

The start of the academic year is always an exciting time filled with new or renewed hopes and dreams, and forging new connections or rekindling old ones. This past week, we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the nearly 800 new graduate students who have arrived on campus, and we look forward to connecting with returning graduate students as the semester gets underway. 

The start of the academic year also brings excitement for new possibilities in learning and scholarship. Let me highlight a few things to help all of you make the most of your year ahead as Princeton graduate students.

Dean’s Office Hours. Our work at the Graduate School is about supporting you, and it must be grounded in collaborations between faculty, staff, and students. It is always important that students have an opportunity to speak with members of the Graduate School. Wherever you are in your course of study, I want to meet you, hear about your goals, and learn about your experience and your ideas or concerns about graduate education. I encourage you to sign up for a slot during my office hours – regular times when my calendar and door are open to all graduate students. 

Resources. The Graduate School has developed a strong foundation of opportunities that facilitate your active participation within the Princeton community while supporting your personal and professional development. Explore our website to learn more about these offerings and get to know the staff in the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School. If there is one takeaway from the site to emphasize, it is this: We are here for you, and it is our top priority that you experience Princeton as a place to explore, a place to thrive, and a place where you belong. 

In addition to highlighting a wide range of events, our website connects you with academic and personal support, funding sources, key policies, and other helpful information, such as information on studyingabroad and personal finance assistance. If you have questions or suggestions about something that the Graduate School oversees, please reach out to our team.

Connections. Throughout the year, the Graduate School organizes various events to help you develop new bonds and create a community of scholars. Newsletters from the Student Affairs team and others within the Graduate School will highlight events in a timely manner. In these early weeks, look for announcements about events such as Grad Night at McCarter Theatre; Welcome BBQs for the residents of Meadows, Lawrence, and Lakeside (We already had a great turnout for the recent Graduate College breakfast.); First Year Receptions; 2^nd – 5^th Year Receptions; Oktoberfest at the Graduate College; and a Meet and Greet with President Eisgruber for first-year graduate students.

Additionally, the Graduate School hosts multiple High Tables per semester. These intellectual and social events allow graduate students to learn about a faculty member's scholarship over dinner and conversation at Procter Hall and the Wyman House. I encourage you to sign up to attend a High Table. Amber Serrano in Student Affairs periodically sends emails about each High Table and how to sign up.

This academic year, we will also introduce informal dean’s lunches. The lunches will invite graduate students to have lunch with the dean to connect with each other and Graduate School staff members. More information about the dean’s lunches will be shared soon.

Grad school is often said to be a marathon, not a sprint. I encourage you to invest time in your interests and passions and prioritize engaging with the Graduate School and the broader community. 

There are now close to 3,400 Princeton graduate students. You are citizens of 91 countries and study in 45 different degree programs. Such a tapestry of backgrounds and interests helps to create an intellectual and social environment that abounds with opportunities for growth and experience. I encourage you to embrace our commonality of being in this place at this moment in time with the shared goal of deepening our understanding of the world to benefit humanity and forge new connections that will last a lifetime. 

Mentoring. I want to finish by touching on a topic that will be of focus in the Graduate School during the academic year: mentoring. The simplest definition of mentoring is when someone shares what they know to help support another person's progress.  Mentoring is essential to your success in graduate school. Whether pursuing a doctoral or a master’s degree, you will need to develop mentors at Princeton. Mentors may take many forms in graduate school, from formal research advisors to instructors who offer sage guidance. Whatever the case, these relationships will help define your experience at Princeton. In the summer of 2020, the Graduate School released the Graduate Mentoring report to help enhance the mentoring of graduate students. I’m delighted that Professor Hendrik Lorenz has been appointed Vice Dean and Mellon Fellow in the Graduate School for this academic year. Dean Lorenz will spend a considerable amount of his time on projects related to supporting the mentoring of graduate students. During the year, we will communicate more about the work of Dean Lorenz. In addition, students will have an opportunity to meet and share their thoughts, ideas, and mentorship experiences with Dean Lorenz. For now, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the mentoring resources available in the Graduate School, including our graduate alums mentoring program. Finally, students should always feel comfortable approaching any dean in the Graduate School to seek support and guidance around mentorship.

Support. As I noted in the spring memo to all graduate students, consider the Graduate School a partner in your journey. During unsettled times, we encourage you to engage with the Graduate School staff, particularly our Student Affairs team. We want every graduate student to feel welcomed and supported at Princeton. We are here for you. 

Best wishes for a wonderful start to the new academic year! The team in Clio Hall looks forward to getting to know you. We are here to help you learn, explore, and thrive throughout your time at Princeton.

Warmly,

Rodney D. Priestley