Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

I hope you had an enjoyable and productive summer. I am excited to welcome you back to campus, whether you are a returning or new member of the Brown community. Although the campus is tranquil over the summer, I always love seeing and feeling the energy that comes with the beginning of the fall semester.

As we prepare for the beginning of classes, I want to take the opportunity to share with you plans for the year ahead that will advance Brown’s rigorous and high-impact scholarship and research, and support our community. I will also highlight some of the recent achievements of our students and faculty.

First, I feel it’s important to reflect on some of the challenges facing Brown and so many institutions of higher education across the country in light of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, a polarizing U.S. presidential election, threats to the sustainability and autonomy of institutions of higher education, and other consequential issues that invoke deeply held personal beliefs and generate division and dissent.

I continue to be proud of how our campus community came together at the end of the spring semester with productive discussion that resulted in students submitting a request for divestment using the University’s long and well-established process for considering such requests (more information about this process can be found later in this letter). It is for this reason, among others, that I am confident that the Brown community can live up to the values of support for free expression within an open and respectful learning community in the months ahead.

Brown has always been characterized by its principled standards of intellectual openness and respectful discourse. We address differences through dialogue, debate and listening to each other. While no one can predict how national and international events will unfold and impact college campuses in the coming months, we will do everything within our power to ensure that Brown’s campus is a home where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, and is free to share their perspectives and beliefs with those who agree and those who don’t.

I encourage you to review the University’s Code of Conduct, which all members of our community—faculty, staff and students—agree to uphold. The Code is not a list of rules and regulations, but rather a set of principles that guide our actions and underpin our policies. We are committed to upholding freedom of expression; respecting the dignity and humanity of others; behaving with integrity; and respecting the use of University resources that benefit us all. It is through living by these principles, and upholding the standards, policies and practices that follow from them, that Brown will successfully navigate through an uncertain time. 

As you review the Code of Conduct and for new students in particular as you engage in orientation programs in the days ahead, I encourage you to reflect on how the choices we all make every day are received and experienced by others. The culture of the Brown community is characterized by mutual respect, support for each other, empathy, and understanding of difference. While that culture is deeply held on this campus, it is up to all of us as individuals and as a collective to sustain, nurture, and strengthen it for now and the future. There are too many examples across the country – and from time to time here at Brown – of individuals treating others through social media and other mediums with contempt rather than with dignity, and I hope that we can all resolve to do better in that regard over the coming year.   

In the spirit of celebrating the free exchange of ideas, I invite you to attend Brown’s 261st Opening Convocation, which marks the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year and where I will speak more about these core values of our community. Convocation will take place at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, September 3, on the College Green—just after our new students pass through the Van Wickle Gates to celebrate the beginning of their Brown journeys. The opening exercises will feature a keynote address from Dean of the School of Public Health Ashish K. Jha. I look forward to seeing many of you there.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE PAST YEAR

It is important to recognize that even as we encountered unexpected challenges over the past year, Brown continued to strengthen its student-centered academic and co-curricular programs, produce high-impact research and scholarship, and make significant advancements in capital projects that support learning, research and campus life.

No single measure can capture the many and varied accomplishments of our students, who contribute so much to our community locally and globally. Brown students are continually admitted to the best graduate and professional programs, are sought after by top prospective employers, and are recognized with prominent awards. For example, just last year Brown students received 39 Fulbright awards (the largest group of Brown recipients to date) and will be teaching in 23 countries around the world this fall. Two students earned Truman Scholarships, and three earned Goldwater Scholarships. We watched the Olympic Games in Paris with pride as five Brown students and alumni competed and two earned Bronze medals in women’s rugby and men’s rowing.

Brown continues to be one of the most highly-sought-after colleges to attend. We are engaged in concerted efforts to make Brown accessible to the most talented students regardless of socioeconomic background. In the past year, we furthered efforts to ensure Brown remains an inclusive campus grounded in respect for others, and this commitment to diversity and inclusion will continue. A year ahead of schedule, we met our goal of doubling the enrollment of undergraduate U.S. military veterans, who are admitted on a need-blind basis. Next year, we will become one of only six U.S. institutions to be need-blind for international students. Much of this progress has been made possible by the efforts of the BrownTogether campaign, and we will continue to build on this success in years to come.

Our undergraduate and graduate students benefit each year in new and exciting ways from Brown’s student-centered learning environment in which they partner with faculty and staff in the production of knowledge in consequential fields. In the past year, Brown researchers helped to redefine techniques for mapping the surface of the Moon. They have led efforts to expand the critical examination of race in the classics. They have studied blood samples for biological signs of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, expanding the possibilities of brain research. And student researchers led an important effort to document the history of the University’s own Andrews House, the new home to the Cogut Institute for the Humanities, which we will celebrate this fall.

Our faculty continue to receive recognition for their scholarship. For example, two Brown faculty members earned Guggenheim fellowships, one earned the National Medal of Science, and six were elected to national academies, including the American Academy of Arts and the National Academy of Engineering. Brown faculty were selected to serve as trusted advisors and leaders in a wide range of areas from the White House Council of Economic Advisers to the American Physical Society.

PRIORITIES FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

Our plans for the coming year support Brown’s mission of teaching and scholarship in the service of society.

Launch the School of International and Public Affairs

In May, the Corporation of Brown University approved the establishment of a new School of International and Public Affairs, which will officially launch on July 1, 2025. The school will expand research and teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels on the world’s most pressing economic, political, social and policy challenges. In the year ahead, we will embark on a strategic planning process led by Provost Francis J. Doyle III, Interim Director of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs Wendy Schiller, and others to formalize academic programming, operating structures and leadership for the new school.

Advance a University-wide initiative on Artificial Intelligence

Given the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence and its great potential, as well as risks, the University is assessing how the use of AI technology can enhance academic and administrative activities while also ensuring that these tools are used appropriately and ethically. Provost Doyle has been leading efforts to develop a strategy for AI research that will involve faculty and students across all disciplines, and in partnership with the Vice President for Information Technology, we also continue to consider how AI can be used to gain efficiency in core University operations. The Provost will share more about this exciting work in his academic priorities letter to the campus in the coming days, including the exploration of funding opportunities that span the full range of government agencies, corporate support, and philanthropic gifts.

Commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States

On July 4, 2026, the United States will mark the 250th anniversary of its founding. Starting in January of 2025 and continuing for two years, Brown will observe this anniversary by contributing to scholarship, teaching and programming on the history and legacies of the American Revolution, as well as the vital role of research universities in a democracy. This interdisciplinary initiative, overseen by a steering committee chaired by Karin Wulf, director and librarian of the John Carter Brown Library, and Kevin McLaughlin, director of the John Nicholas Brown Center for Advanced Study, will result in efforts such as the development of new courses, conferences, lectures and community events.

Implement the community engagement agenda

Making a positive impact locally has long been a hallmark of a Brown education. In May, we launched a plan that will offer a roadmap for how members of the Brown community can work together to develop deeper, more impactful partnerships across Providence and Rhode Island. In the coming year, under the leadership of Vice President for Community Engagement Mary Jo Callan, we will work to strengthen and expand community engagement strategies aligned with the Community Engagement Agenda: A Call to Partnership and Action. This includes efforts to build on existing partnerships with local organizations, support faculty who want to conduct community-engaged research and teaching, and provide community organizations with clear information about opportunities for collaboration. Our efforts to expand development in the Jewelry District are aligned with this work and involve ongoing collaboration with various state and city stakeholders. 

Address the request for divestment

This fall, the campus will engage in a fair, balanced and well-informed process to consider the request submitted to the Advisory Committee on University Resources Management (ACURM) in early July by the Brown Divest Coalition titled “A Critical Edition of: ‘To Recommend Divestment from Companies that Facilitate the Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Territory.’” The consideration of this request is part of the agreement the University reached with students to end the unauthorized encampment on the College Green in April, and is in keeping with Brown’s established and longstanding process for considering such requests for divestment that come from the community. To bring clarity to an open and divisive issue, I have asked that ACURM make a recommendation to me no later than September 30.

As I shared in a community letter to the campus earlier this month, ACURM will organize a process for collecting community input and communicate that process to campus in order to ensure that the review is informed by a wide range of perspectives and experiences. The full detailed guidance I shared with the committee is available online. Historically, Brown’s process for considering divestment gives the President discretion to decide whether to advance an ACURM recommendation to the Corporation, but given the sustained and intense interest in this issue, I have committed to bringing this matter for consideration by the Corporation when it meets in October, regardless of whether ACURM recommends for or against divestment.

Consistent with the principles of community expressed above, I would ask all faculty, students and staff who wish to engage in this process to do so with respect and empathy for the views, experiences and perspectives of others. The Israel-Palestine conflict is deep and complex, and understandably engenders strongly held positions. As a campus community dedicated to learning, teaching, research and the free and open exchange of ideas, it is incumbent upon all of us to actively listen to each other in a manner consistent with our shared values and commitments. A divisive issue need not divide our community, and I hope that you will join me in approaching the work of this year with that goal in mind.

Build long-term economic sustainability

As I wrote to the campus following the May Corporation meeting, the University is operating in a financial climate where multiple factors create considerable financial pressure. Among those are little projected growth in undergraduate tuition, with no plans at Brown for further expansion of the undergraduate student body. Endowment forecasts are anticipating more modest investment returns than in recent record-setting years, which means the growth in the endowment’s annual contribution to the operating budget will be slower than in recent years. We are also focused on keeping pace on wage growth for employees, given the impact of inflation on living costs, as well as planning for increases in the cost of new debt and inflation that is expected to ease slightly, but remain higher than the low inflation that persisted for much of the last decade.

In the report of the University Resources Committee that recommended the budget for this fiscal year, Provost Doyle wrote that “these factors, combined, indicate that careful financial management will be essential…,” particularly in avoiding sustained annual budget deficits. I echo the Provost’s commitment that the University will develop achievable targets to bring our budget into balance while also continuing to make the strategic investments required to elevate our impact as a leading research institution. This work began over the summer and will continue in earnest this fall in consultation with the URC and other campus partners. Provost Doyle and Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Sarah Latham will engage with colleagues across campus as this work proceeds in the coming months.

Conclusion

I hope to see many of you at Convocation, and I wish all of you a great start to the fall semester. I look forward to a fulfilling year as we continue to build knowledge and understanding, value diverse perspectives, and engage with our local community. I continue to be honored to serve this exceptional community.

Sincerely,
Christina H. Paxson
President