Since our last editors’ note, Brown University has been shaken by federal actions threatening to remake American higher education.
The current presidential administration has pledged to freeze $510 million to Brown over concerns of the University’s handling of antisemitism and diversity, equity and inclusion policies. The National Institutes of Health have frozen all funds to Brown. A professor was deported over her alleged attendance at a Hezbollah leader’s funeral. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has placed the entirety of the University under investigation. Congress is probing Brown and the other Ivy Leagues. Student visas have been revoked.
As Brown weathers persistent attacks on higher education, there remains a lack of clarity about these federal actions. NIH officials are explicitly instructing their staff to withhold information from University administrators, leaving our campus community in the dark.
At the same time, we are seeing faith in institutions erode — with declining trust in higher education and the press alike. In times like these, we are committed to producing coverage that you, our readers, can trust.
The Herald has unearthed buried stories to keep the Brown community informed. We have been among the first to report on the NIH freezing funding to Brown, federal lawsuits, grant cuts to public health research on campus and closed-door meetings where administrators grapple with questions that will determine the University’s future.
Alongside managing an onslaught of near-constant breaking news, we have continued to report on how these actions touch the lives of our faculty and staff, students and members of the greater Rhode Island community. We’ve covered the impacts of visa revocations on international students, widespread protests and the fear among students, both prospective and current.
Contributors to our opinions section have taken the courageous step of speaking out on contentious topics, fueling vital campus discourse. Our photographers, videographers, podcasters and illustrators lend faces and voices to the stories we endeavor to tell.
With universities finding a spotlight in national headlines, the voices of students, faculty and staff are more important than ever. Beyond Brown, student journalism provides a unique pulse on campus life through on-the-ground coverage that informs national conversations.
These stories would not have been possible without the trust you’ve placed in us thus far. Over the past four months, we have been touched by the stories you have shared with our reporters, editors and multimedia staff. The Herald is Brown University’s paper of record, a responsibility we will continue to carry with each story we report. Trust is an expensive commodity, and we won’t put yours to waste. Thank you for your continued support.
As we enter reading period and end regular production for the semester, we will continue to track these stories closely, bringing you up-to-date, rigorous journalism you have come to trust and rely on. We look forward to building on this trust in the months to come.
Editors’ notes are written by The Herald’s 135th Editorial Board: Tom Li ’26, Ryan Doherty ’26, Owen Dahlkamp ’26, Julianna Chang ’26, Anisha Kumar ’26 and Yael Wellisch ’26.
