In response to concerns about recent federal actions, University administrators clarified how Brown is approaching federal immigration enforcement, recent federal funding cuts, threats to diversity and inclusion, gender-affirming care and retention of protest security footage.
In a community-wide letter sent early Monday morning, Provost Francis Doyle and Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy Russell Carey ’91 wrote that the guidance complies with the law while supporting “the safety and well-being of our community within the bounds of an evolving legal and policy landscape.”
One percent of existing research grants at Brown have been cut
In the announcement, Doyle and Carey wrote that Brown has “seen the termination of about one percent of existing research grants.”
The research targeted “seems to include considerations of gender, race or diversity, equity and inclusion,” they wrote. The grants came from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Office of Naval Research, the State Department and NASA.
In the coming months, grants supporting projects studying anthropogenic climate change and links between climate and health may be cut as well, the statement reads.
Columbia and Penn have recently faced federal funding cuts over concerns of antisemitism and policies regarding transgender athletes, respectively.
Brown’s Division of Research will also be holding a series of events to support faculty in receiving research funding.
“DOR encourages members of our research community to continue submitting research proposals,” they added. “Any decrease in proposal submissions could negatively influence future federal budgets.”
Campus law enforcement will not share information regarding immigration status, unless under subpoena
Doyle and Carey also addressed travel bans and immigration enforcement in Monday’s announcement, writing that all community members should contact the Department of Public Safety if federal immigration enforcement were to visit campus. The DPS would then notify University officials.
But they clarified that “federal enforcement officers, like state and local law enforcement officers, have jurisdiction on campus, including the Brown University campus.”
“Federal law officers can carry out their statutory duties where they have lawful jurisdiction and authority to do so. Neither Brown nor any other organization has discretion or authority to stop them from doing so,” they added.
They affirmed that the DPS does not “inquire about or act on information related to immigration status and does not partner with federal or state agencies to do so.”
“Brown will only share information with law enforcement regarding the immigration status of community members under a valid subpoena,” they wrote, adding that the University cannot make a commitment to a specific response in any given situation, seeing as the “facts and circumstances of any individual situation can be infinitely variable.”
The letter follows the recent deportation of Assistant Professor of Medicine Rasha Alawieh, who held a valid H-1B visa. Alawieh was deported after she “openly admitted” to traveling to the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Brown will alter student disciplinary records only in ‘very rare instances’
In recent weeks, some student protestors have called on the University to destroy security camera footage from protests out of fear it could be obtained by the federal government.
Doyle and Carey wrote that such footage is usually stored for no longer than 30 days “unless the footage is evidence in an administrative, employment or court action.”
“Brown typically will not disclose such records to outside agencies absent a valid subpoena or court order or statutory or regulatory authority,” they added.
The University will also maintain the privacy of student conduct records in line with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, known as FERPA, which prevents universities from disclosing a student’s education record.
“Brown maintains the integrity of these records, and would alter or expunge them only in very rare instances when we are required to do so in alignment with FERPA,” they said.
Doyle and Carey also said the University will not change its current diversity and inclusion efforts or its support of members of the LGBTQ community, including through gender-affirming care.
“We want to reiterate that we appreciate and understand the concerns, anxiety and confusion that many Brown community members are experiencing,” they wrote. “Offices across the University continue to engage directly with various communities affected by evolving policies to provide support.”
Cate Latimer is a university news editor covering faculty, University Hall and higher education. She is from Portland, OR, and studies English and Urban Studies. In her free time, you can find her playing ultimate frisbee or rewatching episodes of Parks and Rec.
