Dear Members of the Brown Community,

Since Provost Doyle and I wrote to the Brown community just over a month ago, we have seen numerous federal government actions that threaten to jeopardize Brown’s ability to fulfill several aspects of its academic mission and operations. I am writing to reiterate in the strongest possible terms our ongoing commitment to protecting Brown’s mission of teaching and research, and to share how we are responsibly planning for potential financial impacts with careful analysis and deliberation.

Recent federal executive orders, agency directives and policy letters have created an environment of uncertainty and anxiety related to the flow of federal funding for research; the possible impacts on programs, activities and scholarly study related to diversity and inclusion; and issues concerning immigration, citizenship and residency status, among other areas. For many of these federal orders and announcements, it is unclear exactly how they will be implemented, as a number of them continue to face legal challenges. At the same time, numerous questions remain about whether the federal budget that is being developed in Congress will reduce funding for research and whether the current tax on the endowment returns of colleges and universities will be significantly increased.

I know we have faculty, staff and students who are grappling with anxiety about how the federal government’s ongoing policy shifts will affect both the University and the lives of individual members of our community. Many are questioning whether federal actions affecting Brown and other institutions may lead to some areas of research and scholarship being discontinued; jobs being eliminated; new restrictions on what can be taught and studied; and, for those who traveled to the U.S. and are not U.S. citizens, impaired ability to study and conduct research abroad.

In this time of enormous uncertainty, Brown will continue to be guided by its principled standards of integrity and transparency and will act thoughtfully with deliberation and care. You will hear me repeat again and again: Brown’s mission is our north star, and we are committed to defending it.

Protecting Brown’s mission

Drawing from our mission statement, Brown’s purpose is to serve the community, the nation and the world by advancing knowledge and understanding in a spirit of free inquiry, and educating and preparing students for lives of usefulness and reputation. Safeguarding this mission means protecting academic freedom and, if necessary, defending against intrusion into our rights to determine the subjects that may be taught and studied at Brown. Faculty and students should not feel obliged to modify what they teach or study out of fear that some areas of inquiry are, or may become, off limits. 

The right to academic freedom is inextricably entwined with our commitment to ensure that all members of our community, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender and other personal characteristics, have full and equal access to opportunities provided by Brown, and can live and work in an environment free of harassment or discrimination. To fulfill that commitment, we will continue to promote a diverse and inclusive campus that draws talent from across the country and the world. Furthermore, we will continue to celebrate and provide educational opportunities to Brunonians about the wide range of cultures, backgrounds and points of view that add to the richness and intellectual vitality of our community. Matthew Guterl, our new Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, began this week, and I look forward to the work he will lead in ensuring that all members of the Brown community, no matter their backgrounds or viewpoints, can thrive and feel empowered to contribute their diverse perspectives to the academic research, scholarship and community at Brown. 

Remaining thoughtful and financially prudent as we respond to financial challenges

Currently, we face threats to our top three sources of revenue: potential cuts in research funding, a possible increased federal tax on endowments, and (if international student visas are restricted) declines in tuition revenue. We do not know how large the combined financial impact might be, and we will not have more certainty until the legal challenges to several executive orders and directives are resolved and Congress passes a budget.

We are taking several steps to address this financial uncertainty. The first is to redouble the efforts of Brown’s Financial Health Initiative, which aims to address a stubborn structural budget deficit. As announced in December, the steps we have taken so far include slowing the growth of faculty and staff, controlling the cost of our Ph.D. programs, and developing plans for other expense reductions through the normal budgeting process for the coming fiscal year (FY26). 

Given the new financial threats we face from federal actions, we are more aggressively pursuing these measures. For example, because of concerns about the availability of research funding, several faculty searches that were underway have been cancelled, and some grant-supported units have further reduced Ph.D. admissions targets. In addition, we have applied greater scrutiny to all staff vacancies, leaving many unfilled. These are difficult decisions, but these actions will better position us to maintain resources to support our faculty, staff and students as we face future financial headwinds. Within the next two weeks, Provost Francis J. Doyle and Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Sarah Latham will write to share progress on developing the FY26 budget. They also will provide information on additional steps the University will take this current fiscal year to confront financial realities that continue to evolve.

We are developing plans to respond to a wide range of financial scenarios that can be implemented, if necessary, as we continue to evaluate the impact that federal actions may have on revenue and funding sources. For example, we noted in our declaration supporting litigation against the National Institutes of Health directive cutting indirect cost recovery rates to 15% that such a cap could force Brown to lay off some employees and possibly pull back on our investment in the William A. and Ami Kuan Danoff Life Sciences Laboratories. This would harm affected Brown employees, their families and the local economy, and slow potentially life-saving biomedical research. We do not want this to happen. This is why we are doing all we can to advocate against it, including participating in a legal challenge to the proposed cap. While we do not want the 15% indirect cap to be implemented, it is only prudent that we plan for this possibility. 

Similarly, we will need to be ready with solid plans in the event that the federal endowment tax is increased or tuition revenues decline. I want to emphasize that the University will not implement those plans unless and until we know more, and then only in consultation with key governance groups from the University, including the University Resources Committee and the Academic Priorities Committee.

Ongoing planning and response

An administrative leadership team with the expertise to address key areas under threat by federal actions continues to work actively to plan for contingencies and take steps to support members of our community who are directly affected. Led by Provost Doyle, the ad hoc working group includes senior administrative colleagues from Campus Life, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Finance and Administration, Office of General Counsel, Office of Global Engagement, Office of Information Technology, Office of Government Relations, Division of Research and Office of University Communications. In addition, the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs is providing subject matter expertise in policy and public affairs. The working group remains committed to ensuring communications with members of our community directly affected by federal directives, while also developing resources such as the FAQ hosted by the Office of Global Engagement addressing questions related to government inquiries concerning immigration and citizenship status.

I realize that this is an unsettling time, and I wish I could offer more certainty to everyone in our community as to how federal actions will affect Brown in the coming months and years. What I can offer, though, is a steadfast commitment to defending our academic mission and protecting members of our community to the best extent possible.

I am grateful for all you do as members of the Brown community. I look forward to our continued work together to advance education and research. 

Sincerely,

Christina H. Paxson
President