Dear Brown Community,

The recent invasion by Russia of Ukraine and news about the emerging humanitarian crisis are deeply troubling, and are affecting members of the Brown community with ties to the region. Unfortunately, it is not the first, and certainly won’t be the last, time that we face global crises and conflicts that threaten democracy and cause human suffering. We are writing to remind the Brown community about resources that are available in times such as this, and to offer heartfelt empathy and support to those affected by the current situation. 

Our usual practice when global crises emerge is to reach out to students and employees who are known to have connections to affected regions. However, our information is never comprehensive, and there are likely affected employees and others whom we haven’t reached. Now and in the future, we encourage students, staff and faculty who may be impacted by global crises to reach out to our campus-based offices for guidance and support — including Student Support Services, Global Brown, Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life, Counseling & Psychological Services, the Faculty/Staff Assistance Program, and the Office of International Student & Scholar Services.

As a university, we have tremendous resources that can help support our community and inform our global society. As we have done in the past — most recently after the conflict in Afghanistan erupted — we are working with several partner organizations, including the Scholars at Risk network and the New University in Exile Consortium, to provide a safe academic home for Ukrainian scholars. We will share updates on these efforts as the situation unfolds.

We are sure our students and others will want to learn about and discuss what is unfolding in the region. As usual, faculty and colleagues are hosting programming on the recent events and their significance on geopolitics and the future of democracy. To learn more, we would encourage you to participate in a Ukraine Panel Discussion/Teach-in hosted by faculty in the Department of History 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 1 (watch Events@Brown for the location). In addition, you may join the Crisis Seminar on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict next Thursday, March 3, view the recent panel discussion on The Russia-Ukraine Crisis, or listen to the recent Trending Globally podcast, all hosted by the Watson Institute for International & Public Affairs.

As always, our university stands together in times of crisis. We have resources to support members of our community and scholars and students displaced by conflict. We encourage you to stay informed and continue to support one another.

Sincerely,

Christina Paxson
President

Richard M. Locke
Provost

Eric Estes
Vice President for Campus Life