Dear Brown Families,

We hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. Earlier today, President Christina Paxson informed the Brown community that in light of shifting public health conditions related to COVID-19, the University will be taking a phased approach to bringing back students for the fall semester. 

In the first phase, only a limited number of students will be permitted to return to campus before Labor Day. As a result, all undergraduate classes will be taught remotely from September 9 until the week of October 5. In the second phase, other students will be invited to return in late September provided that the public health situation has improved. As always, the safety and wellbeing of our students has been at the forefront of our decision-making process, which remains grounded in data and public health guidance. This phased approach for the fall semester does not impact other plans for the three-semester academic year, including our plans for incoming first-year students to begin their full-time studies during the spring semester.

While we understand that this news is not what many students and families were hoping to hear, this phased approach further reduces the number of students on campus at the start of the term in the three-semester model announced July 7. The staggered arrival of students better positions Brown to manage quarantine and isolation for any students who test positive for COVID-19.

It is important to note that all students living in the City of Providence, whether on or off campus, will be required to read and sign the Student Commitment to COVID-19 Community Health and Safety Requirements; complete an online educational module; and follow a set of pre-arrival requirements and recommendations. All students will also be subject to Brown’s COVID-19 Campus Safety Policy and will be required to enroll and begin participation in the COVID-19 testing program, including a required test upon arrival in Providence and testing twice per week thereafter. We encourage you to review these materials with your student and support them in upholding these important responsibilities for their own health and wellness and that of the broader Brown and Providence communities.

We invite you to read the details of this decision in the President’s message sent today to Brown students, as well as our subsequent communication that details the process for applying to return to campus before Labor Day:

• Letter from President Paxson to the Brown community
• Letter from Campus Life and the College to Returning, Transfer, and RUE Brown students

As we wrote in July, our goal is to provide you and your student with comprehensive information about the University’s plans so that you are able to make the best decisions for your circumstances. Please continue to reference the Healthy Brown website for the most up-to-date information about the start of the fall term. In addition, we will be hosting an upcoming webinar for you and your students to share further information about Brown’s phased approach and provide you with the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. More information about this webinar will be posted on the Healthy Brown Webinar site in the coming days, alongside recordings of past webinars that you and your students may also find helpful.

We recognize that the uncertainty brought about by this public health crisis continues to be challenging and unsettling for many families, and we thank you for patience and flexibility. Despite these unprecedented circumstances, we look forward to the upcoming semester and seeing many of your students on campus once again. 

Sincerely,

Eric Estes
Vice President for Campus Life

Rashid Zia
Dean of the College