Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, Brown’s plans for 2020-21 focus on protecting the health of our community while delivering world-class education and research, and remaining a valued neighbor in our city, state and region.

“Healthy Brown” is a goal and a core value guiding efforts to ensure the health, safety and well-being of the Brown University community. President Christina H. Paxson shared Brown’s “Plan for a Healthy and Safe 2020-21” in July 2020, providing the roadmap for the steps Brown is taking to mitigate the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic during the phased resumption of on-campus instruction and operations. Based on expert public health guidance, Brown is pursuing a three-term academic calendar that provides for a “de-densified” approach to the 2020-21 academic year.

As the 2020-21 nears its conclusion in August 2021 while vaccination rates on campus increase and public health conditions improve, the University is gradually reducing the number of health and safety protocols in effect. Updates are continually available via the Messages to the Community page and all current public health protocols are outlined on the Campus Activity Status page.

The University has reduced the number of students studying in Providence, offered remote learning and instruction options, and implemented extensive health and safety protocols and policies to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on campus.

Every office and department across Brown is part of a campus-wide effort to protect community health while sustaining Brown’s world-class education, teaching, research and service. This website serves as a gateway to the policies, protocols and resources that will continue to inform academic instruction; research, scholarship and discovery; and campus operations.

In advancing its mission of education and research for the 2020-21 academic year and beyond, Brown is committed to the following guiding principles:

• We are committed to protecting the health of Brown’s students and employees.
• We are committed to developing plans with the goal of maintaining the financial well-being of students and employees, especially those who experience the greatest impact.
• We are committed to protecting Brown’s mission of education and research, including focusing resources on Brown’s highest priorities.
• We are committed to protecting the long-term financial health of the University.
• We are committed to transparency.