Dear Undergraduate Students, 

We hope that you are doing well and enjoying the warmer weather as spring arrives. As you may have read in the message from Provost Richard M. Locke and EVP Barbara Chernow on March 1, all undergraduate students planning to enroll in the Summer 2021 term  need to provide their location of study no later than 8:00 a.m. EDT on Monday, March 22, via the Location of Study Form. 

Please read this communication carefully to understand deadlines and important dates related to declaring summer location of study, the process for summer housing assignments, the end of spring term and summer arrival. The dates also appear in an at-a-glance table at the end of this letter.

Summer Location of Study: All currently enrolled students will have the option to maintain their spring location of study for summer, though housing assignments are likely to change for most sophomores, juniors and seniors. Your form will display the options that are available to you based on factors such as your semester level, current Spring 2021 location of study or permanent address. Summer housing will continue to be single occupancy, with every student assigned to a private bedroom. On-campus housing is only guaranteed to students who submit the form by the March 22 deadline (even if you have a spring semester assignment). Sophomores who do not select “on campus” by the March 22 deadline will need either to commute from home or study remotely, depending on their permanent address; juniors and seniors who do not select “on campus” by the March 22 deadline have the option to live off campus. 

Students choosing “remote” as their location of study are affirming that they have no intention of visiting the campus or residing within 30 miles of Providence between May 9 - Aug. 13.  Remote students should not access campus, campus facilities or in-person resources, and should not interact in-person with any members of the Brown community. Choosing remote as a location of study and living off campus within 30 miles of Providence without written permission from Residential Life is a violation of the Code of Student Conduct and may result in discipline. Coming to campus or interacting with members of the Brown community as a remote student is also a violation of the Code of Student Conduct and may result in discipline. Only juniors and seniors are eligible to reside off campus in the Providence area.

Summer Housing Assignments: While the Office of Residential Life will endeavor, to the extent possible, to maintain students’ spring residential assignments for summer term, most residences that currently house upperclass students will not house undergraduates in the summer due to reduced occupancy or the end of the lease for Brown-leased off-campus properties. Students currently assigned to the following residences should anticipate a different summer assignment: 230 Thayer, 257 Thayer, 95 Lofts, Chapin, Chestnut Commons, Diman, Goddard, Graduate Center A, Graduate Center B, Graduate Center C, Harkness, Marcy, Olney, Omni hotel, and Sears. 

Residential Life staff will strive to notify students as soon as possible after the Location of Study deadline if they will be able to maintain their current housing assignment for summer. We expect to communicate specific summer assignments the week of April 5, prior to the end of in-person spring classes. Students receiving a new housing assignment will be able to submit a Housing Questionnaire with information about their preferences. Any student with a disability who has an approved housing accommodation through Student Accessibility Services and whose housing assignment changes will receive a reasonable housing accommodation in their new assignment.

Students who maintain the same housing assignment from spring to summer will be allowed to leave their belongings in their room. Students will not, however, be able to access their residence hall between noon on Saturday, April 24, and the reopening of the residence halls on Sunday, May 9. After the Location of Study deadline, Residential Life staff will be able to provide more detailed information for students who will receive a new residential assignment. 

End of Spring Semester: The spring semester will conclude with a remote reading week and remote final exams after in-person classes end on April 8. The residence halls will close at 12 noon on Saturday, April 24, after the conclusion of the remote final exam period. As noted in the Spring 2021 Housing Agreement, students who leave Providence for four or more consecutive days (when they would be out of testing compliance) will need to complete the remainder of the semester remotely. Students who depart campus before receiving confirmation of their summer housing assignment should fully vacate their room and return their key when they depart. 

You will receive a communication in the week of March 22 with a link to a form where you will need to provide your departure date so that your COVID-19 testing can be paused for the semester. If leaving campus between semesters may be a hardship, you will be able to request on-campus housing between April 24 and May 9, a meal plan for this period, and financial assistance via the same form. This form will be due Wednesday, March 31. Students who need to travel out of state prior to the end of the semester  for emergency or essential purposes, must first check in with Student Support Services for guidance on the health and safety protocols for returning to campus. Departures should otherwise be reported in the end of semester form. 

Summer Arrival: The residence halls will reopen for summer on Sunday, May 9. Students will be able to select their move-in/return date and time between May 9 and May 11 when they receive their summer housing assignment. Students should be prepared to follow a Quiet Period from arrival until the start of in-person classes on Wednesday, May 19. 

In Closing: Protecting the health and safety of the community continues to be the University’s highest priority, and we thank you for your ongoing efforts to care for yourselves and others through this unprecedented time. Should the public health situation require any changes to Brown’s plans, we will be sure to share further information as quickly as possible. 

As you work through your various decisions and planning, please know that there are many resources and people who are here to support you. Please email summer2021@brown.edu or call 401-863-3500 with any questions about the Location of Study Form. Deans in the College can assist you with academic planning, and deans in Student Support Services are available to provide support around your circumstances, but please know that they cannot make exceptions to the housing assignment process or policies. 

We hope the remainder of the semester goes well for you. 

Sincerely,

Eric Estes
Vice President for Campus Life

Rashid Zia
Dean of the College

Dates At-a-Glance: