Dear Brown Community,

As we all continue to process the violent attack against our community last week, we must keep Ella Cook, MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, the nine injured students and their families in our thoughts. I am happy to share that the conditions of the injured victims continue to improve; all but two have been discharged from the hospital.

As we move forward as a community, we know the urgent priority is the safety and security of our campus. For our students, staff, faculty, parents and alumni — I understand the anxiety, fear and stress following the shooting. I understand the gravity of the concerns about safety that follow a tragedy of the magnitude that Brown has suffered. I want to assure you of Brown’s deep commitment to take every possible action to increase the safety and security of our campus, with the goal of protecting our community from future harm. I write today to outline three immediate actions the University is taking, both to learn from Brown’s response to the Dec. 13 shooting and to ensure the ongoing security of our campus.

First, I want to thank the officers and staff in our Public Safety department for the role they played in responding to the shooting and providing aid to our community. The response of Brown’s Public Safety officers to the Dec. 13 shooting has been praised by the other law enforcement agencies that assisted Brown on that terrible day. There is no question about the bravery, dedication and commitment of Brown’s Public Safety officers in their rapid response to the scene of the shooting. Our officers were first on the scene mere minutes after the shooting, and their actions saved lives. These individuals in uniform continue to play an essential role in securing our campus in the actions we are undertaking to protect our community.

Further detail about the following safety and security actions is provided in this letter:

• A rapid response team is prioritizing immediate safety and security measures with a focus on ensuring a secure campus during the winter break and in advance of the start of the Spring 2026 semester.
• We will commission an external After-Action Review of the Dec. 13 incident, including a complete assessment and evaluation of campus safety in the period leading up to the tragedy, the preparedness and response on the date of the shooting, and the emergency management response in the aftermath.
• We will also initiate an external comprehensive Campus Safety and Security Assessment of the Brown campus, including College Hill and the Jewelry District, to review Brown's current safety and security policies, procedures, infrastructure and training. This work will be supported by an on-site physical security assessment of the perimeter of buildings, access points, cameras and technology, and other infrastructure conditions, and will build on the work underway to enhance security immediately.

Both of the external reviews will be governed by a committee of the Corporation of Brown University, our community’s highest governing body, which will approve the selection of the external organizations conducting the assessments. These reviews must be both thorough and comprehensive, and the University is committed to sharing key outcomes of both reviews with our community and the public.

A thorough After-Action Review is an essential part of any recovery and response following a mass casualty event like the one that has devastated our campus. A review like this is standard. As it takes place, Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management Rodney Chatman is on leave, effective immediately. We have engaged Hugh T. Clements, former chief of police of the Providence Police Department, to serve as interim vice president for Public Safety and chief of police while Vice President Chatman is on leave. In his interim role, Interim Vice President Clements will oversee the After-Action Review and assume day-to-day leadership of the department.

Chief Clements is nationally regarded for his expertise in community-oriented policing, having served as director of the federal Office of Community Oriented Policing Services for the U.S. Department of Justice. He also is a former member of the Brown community after serving as a visiting fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs for more than four and a half years from 2018 to 2023. He will report directly to me during his interim leadership of the department. This underscores our commitment to clear accountability, leadership continuity and a sustained focus on campus safety at a time when safety is a critical part of healing and recovery for our community.

Rapid Response and Immediate Security Measures

Ensuring the safety of those on campus during the winter break and in advance of the spring semester is an urgent priority. The campus continues active operations, with students, faculty and staff engaged in work and activities throughout December and January.

Last week we shared enhanced safety measures that include doubling the number of police and security personnel and increased patrols through ongoing interagency cooperation with multiple law enforcement agencies. In addition, we have focused on the rapid implementation of new safety measures, building on safety and security projects the University had launched prior to the Dec. 13 shooting. Many of these enhanced security measures will be in place before the University resumes full operations after winter break on Jan. 6, and others will phase in before the opening of the spring semester.

Enhancements are focused on the following areas:

• Physical Safety Staffing and Visibility. We will sustain the increased presence and patrol of police, public safety officers and security guards, as well as prioritizing a visible security presence across buildings, pedestrian corridors and gathering areas.
• Card Access Expansion. The small number of buildings that have key-based access will be converted to card access on an accelerated timeline, prioritizing academic and mixed-use buildings.
• Camera Coverage. Additional security cameras will be installed across campus, including at Barus & Holley, as part of an overall effort to assess and address camera coverage across building entrances, common areas, circulation spaces and surrounding environments. Installations of new blue light phones will include integrated cameras.
• Panic Alarms and Duress Systems. With a focus on front-facing service areas and late-night operations (e.g., dining facilities), the University will expand panic alarms.
• Events, Athletics and Known High-Population Activities. Events on the spring semester calendar, including athletic events and all known high-attendance activities, will continue to be assessed as part of an event security review launched for high-profile events earlier this fall.
• Operational Ramp-Up and Population Return. We are planning thoughtfully for the phased return of students, faculty and staff from winter break. This includes ensuring the physical security of the campus and preparing for significant increases in safety and security staffing to support increasing population density as we work toward resuming full academic and residential operations.

For Barus & Holley, a dedicated team is considering how operations of that building will be altered, including relocating spring classes and lectures from sensitive areas. We are keenly aware of the impact on returning to that building for students, staff and faculty, and we will communicate a plan in the coming weeks. The School of Engineering and Department of Physics complex — including Barus & Holley, Lassonde Innovation and Design Hub, and the Engineering Research Center — remains fully closed at this time. Those seeking arrangements for urgent or emergency situations pertaining to research activity are being encouraged to be in touch directly with the Division of Research.

As a safety measure for all courses for the Spring 2026 semester and going forward, the Classroom Assignments webpage on the Office of the Registrar's website now requires Brown credentials. The classroom and exam locations in Courses@Brown will also require Brown credentials for access.

After-Action Review and Comprehensive Campus Safety and Security Assessment

As described above, Brown is launching an After-Action Review and a Comprehensive Safety and Security Assessment. Both will be conducted by external reviewers overseen by the Brown Corporation. The scope of both reviews will be approved by the Corporation in collaboration with the external reviewers selected for this work.

Based on best practices for such reviews, we expect that the After-Action Review will cover the period preceding the shooting on Dec. 13, the shooting incident itself, the Brown University emergency response, subsequent investigation coordination with law enforcement agencies, and any other information relevant to evaluating Brown’s emergency response to the tragedy.

We anticipate the Comprehensive Safety and Security Assessment will review the University’s current safety and security systems and approaches, including policies, procedures, staffing, technology and training. An important part of this work will include engaging the campus and local community in discussion about the safety and security policy and posture for the campus to inform findings and recommendations. The assessment will build upon and incorporate the campus safety action items already underway as part of our immediate and rapid response to ensure the campus is prepared, supported and operationally ready for the start of the spring semester.

In Closing

I have written and spoken to hundreds of students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni since the tragic events of Dec. 13. The concerns our community has about safety and security are real. And I share them. As we work to heal and recover, our primary focus is to nurture a thriving campus by attending to the psychological and social health of all members of our community while we also demonstrate that Brown is still Brown — a safe, inclusive, caring community of talented students and scholars and dedicated staff.

But this work begins with taking all steps to ensure that our campus is a safe place to work, live and learn. We are unwavering in this commitment.

Sincerely,

Christina H. Paxson
President