Dear First-Year Students, 

As you read in President Christina Paxson’s announcement earlier today, Brown’s academic operations this year will include a three-term academic model with new first-year students invited to join us on campus in the spring term. The safety and wellbeing of our community is the University’s top priority, and this model will allow Brown to operate with “distancing” and other public health protocols in place designed to mitigate the impact of coronavirus on campus.

Although we know this decision may disappoint some who were hoping to be on campus sooner, we are excited about the opportunities available for you to engage with Brown this summer and fall before your arrival in Providence. You are very much part of the Brown community.

This fall, you will have the opportunity, free-of-charge, to enroll remotely in one Brown course for credit. Brown’s Meiklejohn Peer Advisors will help guide you through the process of exploring your options and enrolling in a course in late August. Fall classes will begin Wednesday, September 9, and conclude with a remote weeklong reading period after Thanksgiving break, followed by remote final exams December 7-11. 

In late August, we will also invite you to join a new virtual community where you will participate in events, modules, and tutorials to prepare you for your arrival and Orientation in January. In addition, you will be invited to participate remotely in a variety of activities and events organized by student organizations, academic departments and centers, and other offices across campus. 

We know you have many questions about what the start of your journey at Brown will look like. Additional information will be provided to you in the coming weeks via your Brown email account. In early August, you will receive instructions for completing the New Student Tutorial, which is required before fall classes begin. By August 14, we will send you a revised checklist of dates for the items listed in the Brown & You booklet. It’s important to note that Brown’s current planning is based on current public health guidance and could shift as the University continues to closely monitor how the pandemic is evolving across the region and around the country.    

Later in the fall, we will share details about on-campus Orientation and your arrival in January, although we’re reminding our community that the uncertainty around the pandemic may prompt adjustments to our preparations throughout this period. In the meantime, we encourage you to read through the First-Year FAQ site and hope you will continue to connect with your classmates in the Admitted Student Virtual Community.

If you have significant health or safety concerns related to starting in January, please contact Student Support Services to be connected with a dean who can work with you to formulate a plan. You can reach Student Support at 401-863-3145 or studentsupport@brown.edu. 

We thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate the complexities of beginning your residential learning at Brown. We look forward to welcoming you to campus in the spring. 

Sincerely,

Eric Estes
Vice President for Campus Life

Rashid Zia
Dean of the College