Whether it was the ubiquitous badges, abundant a capella concerts, an influx of out-of-state license plates, unusually tidy dorms or the hushed mentions of "Al Forno" and "Capital Grille," the changes on campus this weekend could mean only one thing - the prospect of parental visitors.
Almost 4,000 parents and relatives descended on campus for Parents Weekend, representing 47 different states and more than a dozen different countries including Australia, Turkey and the Philippines, according to Cynthia Schwartz, director of University events.
Overcast skies and a constant drizzle characterized much of the weekend. Skies finally broke Sunday morning, revealing a picturesque fall day in Providence and a campus largely bereft of the usual post-Saturday night detritus.
The actual number of people registered for the weekend, 3,911, was a few hundred less than last year - the result of "natural occurrences from year to year," Schwartz said, adding that some visitors on campus might not have bothered to register.
Overall, "the weekend went very well," Schwartz said, citing the variety of events, including discussions with deans, various performances by student groups and a new program geared toward first-generation college students and their parents.
The weekend also featured two speeches ? the keynote address, given by private equity manager and University trustee Jonathan Nelson '77 P'07 P'09 and the traditional Sunday morning question-and-answer session with President Ruth Simmons.
Anecdotes about the recent birth of her first grandchild, an ill-advised attempt by thieves to use her stolen credit card to purchase goods on Thayer Street and a spontaneous kiss of former Harvard President Lawrence Summers were among the highlights of Simmons' remarks.
Speaking before a packed crowd of parents and a handful of bleary-eyed students, Simmons praised the University's "unique" and "innovative" approach to learning, defended the University's re-evaluation of the New Curriculum and reviewed the ongoing efforts of the Campaign for Academic Enrichment. Her comments often elicited applause and waves of laughter from the audience.
After her prepared remarks, Simmons and a cadre of her deputies fielded questions, concerns and praise from parents.
When Simmons took the stage, she joked that the University was going to charge a parent's lost credit card that had turned up on the podium. She then explained that during a recent speech at a church, thieves stole her credit card from her purse - which she had left in another room - but were apprehended soon after when they used her credit card to make purchases on Thayer Street.
"Fortunately, Brown students are much smarter than that," she said.
Later, in the midst of a passage of her speech addressing Brown's commitment to internationalization, Simmons stopped mid-sentence when a cell phone went off. After noting that she shared the same ring tone with the embarrassed audience member, Simmons explained this week had been "harrowing" for her because she had been awaiting a call notifying her of the birth of her first grandchild.
"I have had my cell phone on in every meeting, and I was scared it could ring at any time. I waited and waited. No phone call," she said. "I was prepared - I was thinking I would remember this moment for the rest of my life, where I was when I got the call, what I said, so I practiced how I would say it. And no call. So I get on the plane, and the call came on the plane - it was a message. It's a girl, seven pounds and six ounces," she said, drawing a chorus of "awws" and applause from the audience. "I have a picture if you want to see it," she joked.
Simmons tried to return to the subject of internationalization but was interrupted by laughter and applause when she returned to a more formal tone.
"I bugged my son (Khari) forever. I said, 'You really need international experience, you need to get out of the country to understand what the world thinks,' " Simmons said. "So what does he do? He has my first grandchild in Australia!"
During the more serious portions of her speech, Simmons told parents that the University is constantly "striving to improve every aspect of student and faculty curricular and extracurricular experience," outlining efforts under the Campaign for Academic Enrichment to expand the size and diversity of the faculty, extend financial aid and embark on multiple new construction projects.
"In our view, financial aid philanthropy - which gets stronger every year - is one of the most compelling American stories, proof of the concern that we have as a nation for access and opportunity across all groups," she said. "This will remain one of our highest priorities for many years to come because we are far from having the resources we do need to reduce the loan burden for our students."
Simmons said the University is in the process of responding to student and parent concerns about the quality of advising and calls for increased research and internship opportunities.
"In the next few months I expect we will have a lot to say about what we propose for further advising improvements," she said, noting efforts by the dean of the College to create more one-on-one mentoring partnerships.
Internationalization also remains an essential element of the University's agenda, Simmons said.
Simmons stressed the need for students to "expand, not diminish their global knowledge in the face of intensifying political, religious and cultural differences" and told the audience that "this effort must begin here at home."
"In today's complex and turbulent global reality, problems require multinational, multidisciplinary skills and solutions," she said.
The status of the New Curriculum was another topic of focus. In her speech, Simmons assuaged concerns that the administration is seeking to overhaul the New Curriculum and stressed the need to re-examine Brown's approach to undergraduate education.
"No matter what you hear, or what you read or what some of you hope, I don't foresee an elimination of the New Curriculum. Far from it," she said. In response to a parent who asked if the goal of the Task Force on Undergraduate Education is to dismantle the New Curriculum, Simmons said that the intent of the University's review process is not to replace the curriculum with core requirements.
"There is no virtue in just being another university, in my opinion. What Brown has that is unique is something to treasure and protect, but it would be a very serious mistake for us not to examine what we do in an ongoing way. It sets a bad example for our students - and it sets a bad example for us - because self-satisfaction is a deadly thing," she said.
The second parent to the microphone read a lengthy letter asking Brown to adopt the Designated Suppliers Program, an initiative designed to promote the use of fair labor practices among suppliers of University apparel. The letter said Brown's inaction showed a "hypocritical disregard for human rights." The mother then delivered a box of 179 form letters signed by parents asking Brown to adopt the program. Students also distributed letters to parents before the event asking them for their support.
Simmons said the University agreed that protecting the rights of workers who make its apparel is of fundamental concern, but she said the Corporation does not make decisions based on petitions.
Vice President for Administration and Chief Risk Officer Walter Hunter said the University is "committed to ensuring that factories treat workers fairly," noting that the University stopped taking orders from a supplier within 24 hours of learning that the supplier was violating labor practices. He also said the DSP is a program "that deserves our attention."
Hunter, however, expressed concern over the legality of the DSP program, which he said might be ruled in violation of anti-trust laws by the U.S. Department of Justice. Even in the absence of a ruling, Hunter said elements of the DSP would need amending before the University could adopt the document.
The mother of one student voiced concern over a recent incident in which her son was struck by an SUV while riding his bike near campus. She wanted to know if the University had plans to reduce traffic flow around the College Hill area and to improve access to bike paths around campus.
A man who identified himself as the father of a football player thanked Simmons for her support of the team and for helping to foster what he described as a thriving athletics program at Brown.
"You come out and cheer, and that really means a lot to the program," he said.
The father said in discussions with his son, it seemed that too many classes at the University are taught by graduate students. He asked if the University is making efforts to reduce the number of classes taught by grad students.
Simmons said the University is striving to increase the quality of admitted graduate students and explained that "in today's University environment graduate students are important components of the learning process" and are "required to teach because they are the next generation of faculty."
She said the University is not using them in lieu of faculty but that in large courses grad students are essential. She also emphasized the accessibility of professors and the willingness of professors to teach undergraduates.
Simmons ended the event with another anecdote, detailing an unlikely intra-Ivy League encounter with a former Harvard official.
According to Simmons, it was in the course of accepting a certificate from the Clinton Global Initiative for Brown's work in assisting universities in New Orleans impacted by Hurricane Katrina that the exchange occurred.
"I was quite surprised that the person who was presenting Brown's certificate was Larry Summers and ... he was so laudatory about Brown that I lost my head, and I kissed him," she said.
On Friday night, Nelson delivered the weekend's keynote address "From Beethoven to Bond: James Bond," to a mostly full Salomon 101, offering audience members an idealistic view of life after Brown.
Nelson, founder and CEO of private equity firm Providence Equity Partners, told the audience to "follow your passion" and called long-term plans "folly."
"There is no long-range plan that will reliably lead you to happiness," Nelson said. "Life doesn't work that way."
He spent much of the lecture tracing his path from a late-night disc jockey at WBRU with a passion for jazz music to owner of a major media and telecommunications investment firm.
"The dots in my bio are not perfectly aligned," Nelson said. "By today's standards, it's important to know where you are headed and get there as fast as possible," which he emphatically said did not agree with his life experience. Nelson worked in China and Sweden before he attended Harvard Business School and eventually raised enough capital to found Providence Equity Partners.
Nelson also offered advice to the parents in the crowd.
"Trust your kids. If they have good values, work hard and challenge themselves, they will succeed," he said. Even if a recent college graduate is unsure about what he or she wants to do, Nelson assured parents, "Don't despair. That's the process and it works well."
Though Nelson was critical of students who focus on a long-term career goal, many of the questions asked at the end of the lecture were business- and career-related.
One student asked about taking a first job that does not inspire passion as a stepping stone for another, better position, to which Nelson replied "that's not a good route ... you have to love the drudgery."
Another asked about what skills are most important in business, to which Nelson replied, "communication."
Trudy Ferland P '10, who attended the lecture said she appreciated Nelson's message.
"I am an idealist, so I liked his idealism," she said.
