Welcome to the Office of State Affairs
The primary purpose of the Office of State Affairs is to advocate on behalf of Princeton University before state legislators and executive branch officials on issues that affect the University as a world class research institution that is dedicated to public service, improving diversity in and affordability of higher education, and enhancing the innovation ecosystem in New Jersey. The foundation of our work is the relationships our team of professionals develop with state policymakers, elected officials, and advocacy organizations which reinforce the University’s impact on the state as a leading educator, innovator, and community partner.
The Office of State Affairs serves as the point of entry for state officials to learn more about the University, such as its plans to grow and modernize campus facilities over the next decade, its renowned researchers and innovation partnerships with New Jersey companies, or its community collaborations.
June 2022: The Value of Persistence

In his address to the Princeton Class of 2022, President Eisgruber focused on the value of persistence to the graduating students' achievements.
"You earned your degrees today in many ways and for many reasons, but not least because you persisted brilliantly throughout your time on this campus and away from it," he said. "You persisted not only through a world-altering pandemic, but through problem sets, writing assignments, laboratories, midterms, finals, senior theses, dissertations, and the personal crises and doubts that are an inevitable part of college life and, indeed, of life more generally."
President Eisgruber went on to describe why getting across the finish line and earning a degree matters today.
"[Getting a college degree] correlates with everything from higher incomes to better health to greater civic engagement—and the list goes on...which is why we celebrate Commencement day with admiration and exuberant joy."
And while "graduation rates for Princeton students remain sky-high," President Eisgruber explained that this was not necessarily true for other colleges and universities.
“Some students left school during the pandemic and have not returned. Some high school students who might have gone to college have made other choices instead. Though the data is incomplete, both problems appear to have a disproportionate effect on students from less advantaged backgrounds and those who attend community colleges and other public, two-year institutions.”
To this, he commended Governor Murphy's 'Some College, No Degree' program, which would assist the nearly 700,000 New Jersey students who left school without finishing and expressed hoped that the New Jersey Legislature would fund the program. Read more.
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