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On Wednesday, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 reiterated her commitment to the University’s mission and academic freedom while warning of potential staff layoffs and financial steps that could be taken as the federal political landscape continues to change.
Her statement came as part of the University’s ongoing response to federal actions that threaten research funding, the taxation of the University’s endowment and international student visa status.
At Tuesday’s faculty meeting, Paxson shared that federal actions are “threatening pretty much every major source of revenue that we get as an institution,” including tuition.
In her message, Paxson identified a possible decrease in tuition revenue as international student visas are threatened, research funding cuts and a potential increase in the current 1.4% federal endowment tax as “threats to our top three sources of revenue.”
In light of this, Brown is taking action to address its “stubborn” structural budget deficit, Paxson wrote.
Such steps previously included slowing faculty and staff growth and monitoring the cost of PhD programs. The University has also begun “more aggressively pursuing these measures” by canceling ongoing faculty searches, reducing PhD admissions targets and leaving staff vacancies unfilled, Paxson explained Wednesday.
Additionally, Brown is creating contingency plans should revenue and funding sources be severely impacted.
Such plans could “force Brown to lay off some employees” and potentially “pull back” its investment in the William A. and Ami Kuan Danoff Life Sciences Laboratories, Brown’s planned seven-story laboratory in the Jewelry District.
“This would harm affected Brown employees, their families and the local economy, and slow potentially life-saving biomedical research. We do not want this to happen,” she wrote. Though they are not yet taking these concrete steps, “it is only prudent that we plan for this possibility,” Paxson wrote.
In the Wednesday announcement, Paxson also emphasized Brown’s commitment to protecting its mission, calling it “our north star.”
Defending the University’s mission means “protecting academic freedom” and “if necessary, defending against intrusion into our rights to determine the subjects that may be taught and studied at Brown,” Paxson wrote.
She wrote that faculty and students should not feel compelled to change their teachings or study interests out of fear that they “are, or may become, off limits.”
“I don’t see anything that says we can’t teach and study what we choose,” Paxson said at Tuesday’s faculty meeting.
Brown will continue to commit to diversity and inclusion on campus, Paxson wrote. This comes after Matthew Guterl began his role as vice president for diversity and inclusion earlier this month.
The Trump administration has taken aim at DEI initiatives on campuses nationwide through an executive order and guidance from the Department of Education.
Paxson added that the University has assembled an “administrative leadership team,” led by Provost Francis Doyle, that includes senior University administrators. The committee hopes to address areas of campus threatened by federal policies, develop contingency plans and support the Brown community.
The Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs is also providing “subject matter expertise in policy and public affairs,” she wrote.
Acknowledging the ambiguity regarding the full impact of federal actions at Brown, Paxson wrote “I wish I could offer more certainty to everyone in our community.”
“What I can offer,” she wrote, “is a steadfast commitment to defending our academic mission and protecting members of our community to the best extent possible.”
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.
Samah Hamid is a senior staff writer at the Herald. She is from Sharon, Massachusetts and plans to concentrate in Biology. In her free time, you can find her taking a nap, reading, or baking a sweet treat.
