Mission, Standards, and Values

The mission of Forbes College is to foster a residential community that welcomes students from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, nationalities, and identities to support their academic and personal growth.  We seek to facilitate meaningful and enduring engagement among students, faculty, staff, and administration who all share in the goals of the University's informal motto "Princeton in the nation's service and in the service of humanity." We are a community dedicated to learning from others and respectfully engaging with people across difference because these are values that promote a transformative educational experience.

To the students residing in Forbes College: 

Forbes is your first home here at Princeton. This home has many caring people who devote much effort and talent to creating the welcoming atmosphere of our college: a custodial staff dedicated to maintaining a clean and comfortable building; a dining staff dedicated to creating nourishing and satisfying meals; and a college office staff dedicated to making sure you find balance between the academic and social aspects of Princeton life. It is important to appreciate the contributions of those who work to maintain Forbes College so please do your part to keep common spaces clean. By picking up after your own dishes in the dining hall, laundry in the laundry rooms, and trash in common spaces, you are demonstrating your appreciation and respect for the work of Forbes staff as valued members of our community.

We have assembled some useful and important information concerning community standards and values on this page.  Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the information below:

University-wide policies, procedures, and community standards applicable to all aspects of campus life can be found in Rights, Rules, Responsibilities as well as policies concerning harassment, discrimination, and academic integrity

Undergraduate Housing has specific expectations and policies, to help maintain a safe and respectful living environment.

We encourage everyone to take the following actions to get the most out of their time in Forbes and to sustain our community:

1.      Engage. Please make time to talk to each other. When we commit to genuinely getting to know each other through dialogue, we begin to understand the experiences of others and how friendship can sustain us. We offer a variety of programs and events to serve and appeal to a diverse population, but with the philosophy that all members of our residential college are welcome to attend and engage as we all belong to a single, shared community.

2.      Speak up. If you see something that goes against our community values, say something! In our community derogatory statements (based on identity, gender, race, sexuality, religion, etc.) propagating stereotypes or encouraging disrespect toward others is NOT tolerated. It is our collective responsibility to be active participants in upholding community values and also speaking up when we witness behavior that goes against those values.

3.      Seek out resources. We have amazing student leaders (RCAs, Fields Center Fellows, LGBT Educators, SHARE Peers, PHAs and PAAs) that have been extensively trained. These student leaders can help you through any questions or concerns you may have concerning our community values.  

Every member of the Forbes College staff strives to make our community welcoming and inclusive so that we can all learn through the exploration of cultural and human difference. If you have questions or concerns please reach out to Forbes staff members--we are here to support you. Please come by the Forbes college office or reach out by phone, email, or zoom to speak with any of us should you have questions, concerns, or wish to discuss these issues in greater detail.