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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
University Communication
Description
An account of the resource
Mass communication sent out by Brown
Email
A resource containing textual messages and binary attachments sent electronically from one person to another or one person to many people.
Email Body
The main body of the email, including all replied and forwarded text and headers
Dear Students,
Over the past few days, I have heard from and spoken with many of you. These discussions have made clear that my recent email regarding Brown’s grading policies created many more questions than it resolved. These are difficult moments, and I
understand that no single message or policy can address the range of challenges and
the scope of uncertainty that members of our community are facing right now.
In light of the questions and suggestions that many of you raised, I am writing to share two specific updates regarding Brown’s policies on grading and academic standing that were made after careful consultation with faculty, staff, and students as well as the relevant governing academic committees.
First, in order to provide students with more time and opportunity to consider their grade
options this semester, Brown will extend the grade option deadline through the last full
week of instruction. All students will now have from Monday, April 13 until Friday, May 1 to decide whether they want to receive letter or S/NC grades for all courses that are not mandatory S/NC. We hope that this extension of the grade option deadline will provide you with the opportunity to make the best possible decisions for your individual circumstances.
Second, in order to promote academic continuity, the Committee on Academic Standing has established guidelines to assure that no student’s academic standing will be adversely affected by their coursework this Spring 2020 semester.
For decades, Brown’s academic policies have promoted individualized student learning
through principles defined by choice and purpose, and we continue to believe that these are also the most flexible and supportive policies for this moment.
We are grateful that our community is sustained by the network of trust, support, and partnership that connects us all, whether across campus or around the world. Please continue to reach out to us at college@brown.edu if we can be of help or support in any way.
Sincerely,
Rashid Zia
Dean of the College
Subject Line
The content of the subject line of the email
Extending the S/NC Deadlin, and Guidelines for Academic Standing
From
The name and email address of the person sending the email
Rashid Zia
To
The name(s) and email address(es) of the person to whom the email was sent
Undergraduate Students
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Email: Apr 3, Dean Zia to Undergraduate Students
Subject
The topic of the resource
Extending the S/NC Deadline, and Guidelines for Academic Standing
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Rashid Zia
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
April 3rd, 2020
grades
Rashid Zia
university communications
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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A name given to the resource
University Communication
Description
An account of the resource
Mass communication sent out by Brown
Email
A resource containing textual messages and binary attachments sent electronically from one person to another or one person to many people.
Email Body
The main body of the email, including all replied and forwarded text and headers
Dear Brown Students,
I’m writing to share a letter I sent today to Brown’s faculty and staff as the University joins organizations and businesses across the country in facing deep economic challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter outlines the commitments that will inform the difficult financial decisions that I and other University leaders will make in the days and weeks ahead. The well-being of you, our students, is at the center of many of these commitments, along with the well-being of our Brown employees.
As I note in the letter, we anticipate that the costs associated with COVID-19 will exceed $20 million in the current fiscal year (which ends June 30), and we expect losses in revenue and increases in costs over the next several months could be at least $50 million, and possibly significantly more, depending on the duration of the pandemic.
I hope you’ll read the letter below to understand how Brown’s values will shape the tough choices we make in the months ahead as we address very difficult economic realities.
Sincerely,
Christina H. Paxson
President
==========
Letter to Brown Faculty and Staff
Difficult financial decisions to be shaped by Brown’s values
Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,
The response of Brown employees to the COVID-19 pandemic has been nothing short of extraordinary. It took the entire community to help most of our undergraduate students get home safely and shift to remote teaching, student support services and all of our business operations. I especially want to recognize staff in Dining, Facilities, Campus Life, Public Safety, and other units who have continued to come to work on the campus to support the 380 students who remain in residence halls, and conduct other essential work that cannot be done remotely.
Despite being in an uncertain and difficult time, we have already demonstrated how we can come together and overcome challenges we face. We will need to continue to rely on the strength of our community in the months ahead.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created economic challenges for businesses and organizations across the country, including Brown. In the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, we anticipate that the costs associated with COVID-19 will exceed $20 million. Depending on the length of the pandemic, we expect to incur substantial losses in revenue and increases in costs over the next several months, on the order of at least $50 million, and possibly significantly more, depending on the duration of the pandemic.
Currently, Provost Richard M. Locke and Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Barbara Chernow are leading efforts to develop plans and budgets for the coming fiscal year. With input from the University Resources Committee and a special Corporation committee focused on the University’s finances, these plans will consider varying scenarios based on the length of the pandemic and potential impact for Brown. Provost Locke and EVP
Chernow will provide regular updates on our financial position and announce and explain the rationale for decisions as they are made.
We will need to make tough choices in the months ahead as we address very difficult economic realities. Today, I want to assure you that our choices will be informed by five commitments that are grounded in Brown’s values.
1. We are committed to protecting the health of our students and employees. We will not resume full campus operations until it is safe to do so. Some public health experts believe that COVID-19 will dissipate in the summer but with the potential for sporadic outbreaks in the fall. We are preparing for this possibility by developing a public health plan for Brown that will seek
to mitigate the chance of students and employees acquiring the virus after campus operations resume. Implementing this plan may be costly, but it is essential.
2. We are committed to developing plans with the goal of maintaining the financial wellbeing of students and employees, especially those who experience the greatest impact. For students, this means continuing to meet full financial need for all aided undergraduates and maintaining graduate fellowships. For employees, although it is impossible to make promises in this time of great uncertainty, my hope is to avoid future layoffs to the best extent practicable. Avoiding layoffs will require thoughtful planning, but I believe we have a caring and deeply supportive community that would engage in acts of shared sacrifice for the good of the whole to avoid laying off dedicated employees.
3. We are committed to protecting Brown’s mission of education and research, including
focusing resources on Brown’s highest priorities. In making choices about what aspects of our work to preserve and grow, academic areas — education and research — will take precedence over activities that are less central to the University’s core mission. Across all areas of the University, we will work as a community to set priorities so that our students continue to have excellent educational and co-curricular experiences, our faculty’s scholarship and research is appropriately supported, and our work is conducted as efficiently as possible.
4. We are committed to protecting the long-term financial health of the University. The
Brown University endowment, which provides permanent support for things like employee salaries, academic programs and financial aid, must be protected during this time of volatile financial markets. We are fortunate to have had three years of excellent endowment returns, which will help to sustain the University now. During this crisis, it is essential for Brown’s longterm
financial health to continue to build the endowment through fundraising and careful
investment management.
5. We are committed to transparency. There is still great uncertainty about how long the
pandemic will last. I know that many of you have questions about what the future holds. I wish I could address all of these questions, but many of them can’t yet be answered. However, I am committed to ensuring that Brown faculty and staff will be kept fully informed about challenges as they arise, and given opportunities to ask questions and provide input as decisions are made. One such opportunity will be at the next meeting of the Brown University Community Council
on Wednesday, April 8, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. I hope you will attend online.
We are living through an extraordinarily challenging time. I recognize that this health and economic crisis is affecting many of you personally and professionally, and creating stresses that none of us could have imagined only a few months ago. It has been gratifying to see how, despite these challenges, you have continued to do heroic work at Brown, support each other, and care
for your families and communities.
I ask for your continued dedication as we take on Brown’s financial challenges in the weeks and months to come. I have no doubt that as we work together, Brown will emerge from this crisis as a stronger university and a more tightly knit community.
Sincerely,
Christina H. Paxson
Subject Line
The content of the subject line of the email
Difficult financial decisions to be shaped by Brown's values
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Email: Apr 6, President Paxson to Students
Subject
The topic of the resource
Difficult financial decisions to be shaped by Brown’s values
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Christina Paxson
Date
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April 6th, 2020
Christina Paxson
finances
university communications
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
University Communication
Description
An account of the resource
Mass communication sent out by Brown
Email
A resource containing textual messages and binary attachments sent electronically from one person to another or one person to many people.
Email Body
The main body of the email, including all replied and forwarded text and headers
Dear Members of the Brown Community,
The novel coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on nearly every aspect of our lives, with distressing consequences on many dimensions. The steps we have taken as a University to move to remote instruction, telecommuting for all employees for whom this is possible, and to reduce population density on campus have been designed to promote the health and safety of our staff, faculty and students while continuing to remain operational and fulfill our mission of teaching and research, which in many ways is more critical than ever. We have accomplished a great deal by working together, and we write once again to call upon our community to join together to address the current and longer-term challenges we face.
Our goal is to emerge as strong as possible from this period, both as a university and as a community. As President Paxson wrote yesterday, doing so will require that we address the significant fiscal impact that
COVID-19 has had on the University, and ensuring that the difficult financial decisions we make are grounded in Brown’s values. This will require cooperation, discipline and some shared sacrifice.
We are writing to outline how we plan to do this in the year ahead, recognizing that what we know about the pace and repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic are evolving.
Financial implications to-date
The financial impact of the health crisis for Brown has already topped $20 million. Guided by our core values, we have supported undergraduate students with travel, moving and instructional expenses; credited fees for room and board; and are waiving the summer earning expectations of all current and admitted students, covering this with scholarship aid. We are providing support to address the distinct needs of graduate students during this period of uncertainty, and we have remained committed to sustaining our current workforce and to taking steps to avoid layoffs. We have also offered the option to
tenure-track faculty to extend the tenure clock by one year. Along with these efforts, we have had to make changes to our summer, pre-college and other programs to ensure the health and safety of participants. Throughout this period, we have partnered with Providence and Rhode Island to assist with increasing local community needs, which President Paxson described in this letter.
All of these actions in support of our community as a result of COVID-19 continue to be critically important. At the same time, the University has incurred both substantial costs and diminishing revenues. Depending on the duration and overall impact of the pandemic, losses in revenue and increases in costs could climb to at least $50 million over the next several months, and potentially much more.
Actions for sustaining Brown’s financial health
To continue to achieve our priorities of meeting full financial need for all aided undergraduates and maintaining graduate student fellowships, and to the extent possible, preserving the workforce and avoiding future layoffs, it is essential that we act now to safeguard our financial health. Brown must take the following actions, which we reviewed with the University Resources Committee earlier this week, to
reduce spending and stabilize the budget:
Suspend Hiring: As we announced in a letter late last month, effective as of March 23 and until further notice, the University has suspended any new hiring for the current year and for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020. This hiring freeze extends to all faculty and staff positions, and includes seasonal/intermittent hiring and other temporary hiring through vendor partners. The only exceptions will be for searches that are already well underway this year, and for very few critically strategic hires in the year ahead.
Freeze Salaries and Voluntarily Reduce Senior Officer Salaries: Salaries make up one of the largest components of the University’s budget, and in most years, we seek to recognize the contributions of our
ommunity through regular salary increases. This year, this will not be feasible as we seek to support our students and preserve as much of our current workforce as possible. Salaries for all University faculty and staff will remain at current levels, and we will not be offering salary increases for Fiscal Year 2021, which begins on July 1. This means that there will be no increases to existing salaries through merit or performance bonuses. The performance evaluation process is expected to continue. Since the University’s contractual obligations to provide salary increases to some of our employees remain in force, we intend to engage in good faith bargaining and will reserve our right to reach equitable arrangements with our unionized staff to ensure we can achieve this commitment for all our employees.
President Paxson and Provost Locke will each take a 20% reduction in their salaries, and members of the senior administration have volunteered to take 15% reductions in their salaries.
Slow Capital Projects: The University has many construction activities taking place across the University. The Capital Planning Committee, which the provost chairs, is evaluating current and planned projects to
offer recommendations to President Paxson and the Corporation as to which will proceed, which will be slowed, and which will be suspended or postponed based on the mission-critical nature of the project and financing structure.
Defer Non-Critical Purchasing / Discretionary Spending: We have already announced that during this period of telecommuting, purchasing operations continue for areas that have been identified as critical for University operations and research. Other purchasing needs should be carefully considered during this period of limited on-campus operations, and discretionary spending should be discontinued or deferred until further notice. This includes discontinuing engagement with consultants or vendors for non-essential work. Please work with the relevant dean or senior administrator to evaluate the necessity of these assignments.
Limit Travel: In conjunction with the University’s response to COVID 19, Brown suspended all international and domestic travel organized, sponsored or supported by the University (or conducted as part of an appointment or employment at Brown). When travelling safely becomes possible, only approved categories of travel will be permitted. This will include essential academic travel, travel funded through grant or other external sources, or travel to conduct essential University business. Travel must be approved by the relevant dean or senior administrator.
We know that the impact of COVID 19 has been both deeply disturbing and highly disruptive, and that these new operational changes offer additional challenges. We must take these steps to do all that we can to support our current staff, students and faculty, and to continue to contribute to the world through the exceptional teaching, research and service that distinguishes Brown. If you have questions about these action steps, we hope you’ll participate in this week’s meeting of the Brown University
Community Council (BUCC), Wednesday, April 8, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., where we’ll join President Paxson in discussing the pandemic’s effects on the University. Our actions are guided by a sense of unity, with a belief that we can accomplish much more together, guided not only by our values of inclusion and equity, but also by ensuring that the effects of this crisis do not fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable members of our community. We are grateful for all the work that so many have done already to respond directly to this public health crisis.
The University has a proven track record of withstanding challenging economic periods. While this is a highly fluid situation, and we cannot fully predict the future, we are optimistic that we will weather this moment. We will need to be especially disciplined, as well as innovative, which is a defining strength of our community.
Sincerely,
Richard M. Locke, Provost
Barbara Chernow, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration
Subject Line
The content of the subject line of the email
Addressing financial impacts of COVID-19 as a community
From
The name and email address of the person sending the email
Richard Locke
To
The name(s) and email address(es) of the person to whom the email was sent
Brown Community
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Email: Apr 7, Provost Locke to Students
Subject
The topic of the resource
Addressing financial Impacts of COVID-19 as a community
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Richard Locke
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
April 7th, 2020
finances
Richard Locke
university communications
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
University Communication
Description
An account of the resource
Mass communication sent out by Brown
Email
A resource containing textual messages and binary attachments sent electronically from one person to another or one person to many people.
Email Body
The main body of the email, including all replied and forwarded text and headers
February 1, 2020
Dear Members of the Brown Community,
I am writing with important information for members of the Brown community regarding the new respiratory virus that originated in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, and has since been labeled 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Spread of 2019-nCoV is correlated with circumstances of close and sustained contact with others who are infected. At Brown, we have seen no suspected case of 2019-nCoV nor have we identified any specific risk to any member of the Brown community. Of the cases confirmed in the United States as of this writing, most are in other regions of the country and none are in Rhode Island. The immediate health risk from 2019-nCoV to individuals and communities in Rhode Island — including Brown University — remains low.
The University’s Core Crisis Team, which I chair, has convened to monitor the 2019-nCoV situation and to ensure that appropriate plans are in place to protect the health of our campus community should the need arise. Core Crisis Team members are in
regular contact with the Rhode Island Department of Public Health (RIDOH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and we will be guided by the scientific and health recommendations of both agencies.
Information, answers to frequently asked questions and guidance about 2019-
nCoV is available on the Brown University website and will be updated as new
information becomes available.
Prevention Measures
While the risk posed by 2019-nCoV to the Brown campus remains low, influenza and
similar viruses that cause colds are most prevalent at this time of year. All members of the community should routinely take the following steps to help prevent the
spread of respiratory viruses:
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an
alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water
are not available.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay away from work or class when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
If you have not already done so, get a flu shot.
As always, students with a sore throat, fever, cough and body aches or other symptoms
of concern should call Health Services at 401-863-3953. Brown faculty and staff should consult with their local primary care provider. Individual community members should follow the guidance of their health care professionals, including whether to stay home from work or class. Non-medical professionals — such as supervisors and classroom instructors — are not in a position to provide such guidance and should not do so.
Travel Guidance
Early this week, the University issued updated guidance on travel to China. Travel
guidance to students, faculty and staff is guided by recommendations from International SOS, the World Health Organization, the U.S.Department of State and the CDC. We expect that travel guidance for China, and other nations, will continue to be updated as new information develops.
Now and in the future, Brown encourages all members of the Brown community to register University-related travel overseas in Brown’s global travel registry, TravelSafe, via their Brown login. This will enable all registered travelers to receive timely updates and advisories from International SOS sent directly to your email — it can also assist the University in locating you and offering support in the event of an emergency.
Additional travel information, including important details on Brown’s travel policy, can be found on the International Travel Risk Management or the Brown’s Response to 2019-nCoV websites. For personal travel to any country, students, faculty and staff should be aware of and follow the guidance of the travel advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State.
Counseling and Support
Finally, I wish to note that we understand that reports of the impacts of 2019-nCoV
around the world can be very troubling, especially for members of our community who are from or have friends and family in affected areas. Resources and support are
available for students through Counseling and Psychological Services and for faculty
and staff through the Faculty/Staff Assistance Program. The University Chaplains can also offer support to any member of the Brown community.
We will continue to update the community with additional information as necessary.
Sincerely,
Russell C. Carey
Executive Vice President, Planning and Policy
Subject Line
The content of the subject line of the email
Important Information for the Brown Community re: 2019 Novel Coronavirus
From
The name and email address of the person sending the email
Russell Carey
To
The name(s) and email address(es) of the person to whom the email was sent
Brown Community
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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Email: Feb 1, Russell Carey to Brown Students
Subject
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Important Information for the Brown Community re: 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
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Russell Carey
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February 1st, 2020
Russell Carey
university communications
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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A name given to the resource
University Communication
Description
An account of the resource
Mass communication sent out by Brown
Email
A resource containing textual messages and binary attachments sent electronically from one person to another or one person to many people.
Email Body
The main body of the email, including all replied and forwarded text and headers
Dear Members of the Brown Community,
I write today with an update on Brown’s continued response concerning coronavirus (COVID-19).
With the impact of COVID-19 expanding across the globe and Brown’s spring recess only weeks away, we wanted to share advice on travel planning and offer a reminder that support and guidance are available to all members of the Brown community contending with the implications of this global health emergency. Additional information and updates are available and updated regularly on the Brown COVID-19 website.
First, it is important to emphasize that to this point no significant risks to the Brown community in Rhode Island have been identified — and the majority of University programs, both on campus and abroad, continue to operate as normal. The University’s Core Crisis Team has convened at multiple points and members are in regular contact with the Rhode Island Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). We will be guided by the scientific and health recommendations of both agencies and adjust our policies and plans accordingly.
While the risk of COVID-19 in our area remains low, seasonal influenza is prevalent. The most important steps you can take to prevent the spread of illness are common sense measures for maintaining your health and that of others. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands; avoid close contact with people who are sick; stay away from work or class when you are sick; cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash; clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. And if you have not already done so, get a flu shot – students can do so at Health Services and faculty and staff through their health care provider or local pharmacy.
Self-monitoring for symptoms of flu, social distancing and – if directed by a health care
professional – self-isolation are essential to disrupt the transmission of flu, including COVID-19. Accordingly, all students, faculty and staff must take responsibility for their own health and the health of others by doing the following:
If you do have a sore throat, fever, cough and body aches, you may have the flu. As
always, students with symptoms of concern should call Health Services at 401-863-3953. Faculty and staff should consult with their local primary care provider. Stay out of class and home from work if you feel sick.
Any Brown community member with a combination of cough, shortness of breath or fever above 100.4 degrees and travel to countries with widespread or sustained community transmission of COVID-19 - China, Iran, Italy, Japan, or South Korea as of
today - in the last 14 days or had close contact with a person confirmed to have COVID-19, must self-isolate and contact Health Services (students) or a local provider (faculty and staff) by phone for further direction and before returning to campus.
Any Brown community member who is not experiencing symptoms but has traveled to countries with widespread transmission (listed above as of today) or had close contact with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 must self-monitor for symptoms and consult with Health Services (students) or a local provider (faculty and staff) before returning to
campus.
Over the last week, we have seen COVID-19 outbreaks reach new areas across the world. Staff from Brown’s Office of International Programs and Office of Global Engagement have in recent weeks assisted a small number of students enrolled in study abroad programs near affected areas to find alternative academic programs. On Feb. 28, given an elevated CDC risk designation that made Italy a restricted destination, the University suspended its Brown in Italy program and began work with all students in Italy on plans to return to their homes for the duration of the semester. University staff remain in contact with all students studying abroad, as well as family members who have questions. Status decisions on individual programs made on a case-by-case basis, guided by official guidance from international and national agencies and by University policy.
Updated guidance and information regarding travel, including Brown’s policy on High-Risk and Restricted Travel, can be found on the International Travel Risk Management website and key guidance is included below. For anyone considering travel during spring recess, or any other
time in the coming months, I strongly encourage you to review this information carefully and to check back frequently as guidance and circumstances around the world continue to evolve rapidly. For students who choose to forgo travel and remain at Brown during spring recess,
Campus Life and the Global Brown Center are planning increased events and programs — further information on plans will be made available soon.
Given the CDC’s advice this week about planning for the possibility of COVID-19 spread in the U.S., the Core Crisis Team is engaged in planning on multiple levels. This includes everything from refreshing Health Services plans and protocols for evaluating those with symptoms, anticipating potential impacts on academic programs on campus and abroad, and planning for possible effects on University events. Looking ahead, we will be monitoring COVID-19 closely, communicating updates and taking necessary steps to ensure the safety of the Brown community.
Toward that end, and consistent with guidance from the CDC, we have asked administrative leaders on campus to review continuity plans and take steps to prepare for the unlikely event of a disruption to normal University operations. Faculty members in particular can prepare for such a
possibility — which we believe to be remote — by refreshing their knowledge of instructional technology tools such as Canvas and Zoom, which could be employed to continue coursework and academic instruction if necessary in the event a course can’t be held in person. Information and training on these tools can be found in this Teaching Continuity Guide.
As noted in previous updates, we recognize that reports of the impacts of COVID-19 in the U.S. and around the world can be very troubling, especially for members of our community who are from or have friends and family in affected areas. Resources and support are available for students through Counseling and Psychological Services and for faculty and staff through the Faculty/Staff Assistance Program. The University Chaplains can also offer support to any member of the Brown community.
Additional information on current travel restrictions and advice on travel preparation and resources is included below, and we remind all community members to seek updates via our COVID-19 FAQs page on Brown.edu. We will continue to update the community with additional information as necessary.
Sincerely,
Russell C. Carey
Executive Vice President, Planning and Policy
==========
Current Travel Restrictions
Brown’s International Travel Risk Assessment Committee has continued to monitor recommendations from International SOS, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Department of State and the CDC. Per Brown’s policy and based on State Department and CDC travel advisories, China, Iran, Italy and South Korea are currently considered restricted destinations. A full list of Brown’s restricted destinations can be reviewed here.
This means that no Brown undergraduate student, graduate student or medical student will be permitted to travel to China, Iran, Italy or South Korea as part of a for-credit or non-credit program, including for Brown research. Given the dynamic nature of these events, likely disruptions to available transportation and challenges to re-entry to the U.S., Brown-sponsored travel to China, Iran, Italy or South Korea by faculty and staff is also not permitted at this time without advance permission from the Provost’s Office. We will continue to monitor travel advisories closely, and will remove restrictions as soon as it is deemed safe to do so.
Per Brown’s policy and based on CDC and Department of State guidance, additional
countries affected by coronavirus — Japan, as of today — are considered high-risk
destinations. Any travel by students for Brown programs in these countries must be
approved by the University’s International Travel Risk and Assessment Committee. A full list of Brown’s high-risk destinations can be reviewed here.
While Brown’s policies do not regulate personal and non-Brown travel, all members of the community planning to travel internationally are strongly urged to carefully consider travel plans — especially if considering essential personal travel to China, Italy, Iran, Japan or South Korea. Local quarantines in those countries are possible, numerous commercial flights have been canceled, and re-entry to the U.S. from some destinations will be very difficult, if not impossible, until further notice. It is important to keep updated with regard
to potential travel restrictions and worldwide government measures related to COVID-19.
Regarding mainland China specifically, travel into the U.S. by non-U.S. citizens is prohibited unless there has been a minimum 14-day layover in another country. And while U.S. citizens and permanent residents are permitted to return to the country, a 14-day quarantine is required upon return.
Travel Preparation and Resources
Now and in the future, Brown encourages all members of the Brown community, and requires students, to register University-related travel overseas in Brown’s global travel registry, TravelSafe, via their Brown login. This will enable all registered travelers to receive timely updates and advisories from International SOS sent directly to your email — it can also assist the University in locating you and offering support in the event of an emergency.
International students considering personal travel during the spring break should contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS) for general travel and reentry information. For travel plans involving visits home to impacted countries, students may wish to set up an appointment with an OISSS advisor.
All members of the community should actively monitor the U.S. State Department website for updates, as travel restrictions continue to evolve daily and are prone to sudden change.
International students who plan to stay on campus during Spring Break are encouraged to contact the Global Brown Center at gbc@brown.edu. The center will have various programs and support.
Subject Line
The content of the subject line of the email
Important Information and Updated Travel Policy Information for the Brown Community re: COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus)
From
The name and email address of the person sending the email
Russell Carey
To
The name(s) and email address(es) of the person to whom the email was sent
Brown Community
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Email: Feb 29, Russell Carey to Brown Community
Subject
The topic of the resource
Important Information and Updated Travel Policy Information for the Brown Community re: COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus)
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Russell Carey
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
February 29th, 2020
Russell Carey
university communications
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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A name given to the resource
University Communication
Description
An account of the resource
Mass communication sent out by Brown
Email
A resource containing textual messages and binary attachments sent electronically from one person to another or one person to many people.
Email Body
The main body of the email, including all replied and forwarded text and headers
We Already Miss You!
With students moving off-campus in the coming days and transitioning to remote learning, we've provided information below addressing questions and concerns you may have regarding textbook buyback and rental returns. We also have a list of packing materials available for purchase at the Brown Bookstore.
Stay in touch and up-to-date on what's happening at the Brown Bookstore over the coming weeks. We highly recommend you follow our social media for updates.
Textbook Buyback and Rental Return Now Open
Keep any textbooks you need for classes this semester.
We will email a call tag* to you so rentals can be returned at the end of the semester. Please ensure the contact information you provided when you rented your textbooks is up-to-date.
If it is no longer accurate, please fill out this form to update your contact information:
https://forms.gle/CjqCWMrJqrwLmbKm7
Please return your rental materials as soon as feasible after your final exams have been administered.
If you no longer need your course materials, please feel free to return rentals or sell back books before you leave campus.
*Call tags can only be used in the continental United States. Students outside of the continental United States should contact us to make alternate arrangements.
Packing Materials are Available at the Brown Bookstore
12" Rolls of Bubble Wrap - $2.79
Shipping Tape - $5.39 to $7.99
Duct Tape or Gorilla Tape - $6.99 to $7.99
Packing Box - $2.99
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Email: Mar 13, Brown Bookstore to Students
Subject
The topic of the resource
Official Brown Bookstore Message
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Brown Book Store
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
Friday, March 13th, 2020
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Student-University Communication
Description
An account of the resource
This collection consists of emails written to administration by students, screenshotted from their posts on Facebook.
Email
A resource containing textual messages and binary attachments sent electronically from one person to another or one person to many people.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Leo Tamez '21 to Rashid Zia, Re: Regarding Brown's Grading Policy
Description
An account of the resource
Leo Tamez '21 wrote this email to Dean Zia regarding the grade debate after Zia's email articulating that Universal Pass will not be implemented at Brown. The student also posted a screenshot of the email to his personal Facebook account with a caption.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Leo Tamez, '21
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
March 30th, 2020
Facebook
grade debate
Rashid Zia
social media
U-FLi
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Student-University Communication
Description
An account of the resource
This collection consists of emails written to administration by students, screenshotted from their posts on Facebook.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Una Lomax-Emrick '23 to Rashid Zia: Re: Regarding Brown's Grading Policy
Description
An account of the resource
Student email to Dean Zia after Zia's refusal to implement Universal Pass
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Una Lomax-Emrick '23
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
March 30th, 2020
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Email, copied onto a facebook post
Facebook
grade debate
grades
Rashid Zia
social media
-
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2dfe5801635671568e42b0bb037d20fe
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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A name given to the resource
Brown Daily Herald
Description
An account of the resource
This collection consists of articles published by the Brown Daily Herald, the undergraduate daily student newspaper, in regards to COVID-19 at Brown.
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Text
Any textual data included in the document
When news broke that the University was moving to remote learning and telling students to leave College Hill, Jessica Zhu ’20 was not surprised.
She was expecting the announcement. In many ways, it felt as though her whole semester had been building to that moment. Zhu, a senior from Beijing, had returned to campus back in January wracked with worries about her family’s safety back home in China: News reports were beginning to trickle in about a new virus sweeping parts of the country. She placed an order for masks on Amazon just in case the situation in China worsened, so that she would be able to send supplies to her parents. She spent time consoling a close friend who attends Wuhan University — located in the province which would become the epicenter of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic — after it was announced that the university would close indefinitely.
As the semester plowed full steam ahead, death tolls climbed in China, and then around the globe. Zhu began to comprehend that the U.S. was not immune to this crisis — and to fear that those around her were not taking it seriously enough. “Do you want us to mail masks to you?” her mother asked a few weeks ago. The tables, it seemed, had turned. “If only I could teleport home,” she thought.
When the March 12 letter from President Christina Paxson P’19 circulated, telling students the semester would continue remotely, it brought a mix of relief, sadness and uncertainty. Zhu was brimming with unanswered questions: Would she be able to travel home? If she left the U.S., would she be able to return to begin work after Brown? What about her visa?
Certain that other students would be finding themselves in a similar position, Zhu created “Brown Internationals against Coronavirus,” a Facebook group which she hoped would serve as a space for international students to build community, ask questions and find answers. “It was clear that a lot of students might be under distress,” said Zhu. “I wanted everybody to have a place to share information.”
Now, the group has grown to over 800 members and features questions about evolving international travel restrictions, tips for airport hygiene, offers to help with moving and much more.
When Paxson asked students to go home, many — including those for whom going home means crossing international borders — were left asking: How? For students with extenuating circumstances, Brown provided an option to petition to remain in University housing. Though Zhu, and others, spoke highly of the University’s handling of the situation, many said remaining on a suddenly empty campus presents its own difficulties.
Zhu could not believe her luck last week when she was able to find a flight back to Beijing at the end of the month. Just two more weeks, and I’ll get to be with my family, she thought. But a couple of days ago, she received the news that her flight was canceled. She will likely be spending the remainder of the semester in her apartment. Her only roommate moved out last week.
To date, 319 undergraduate students remain on campus, 174 of whom are international students, according to Associate Vice President for Campus Life Koren Bakkegard. Many more, like Zhu, remain scattered throughout College Hill, living in their off-campus residences with any friends who also remain — or sometimes, no one.
“Everybody is going through something right now”
For Alberto Trovamala ’20, word came from home via hurried phone calls and instant messages in his family group chat: Italy was shutting down.
When he received notice later that week that the University was asking students to leave campus, Trovamala, who is from Milan, knew that returning home was not a realistic option. As an international student who is used to being far away from home, “I was already working on the assumption that I didn’t know when I was going to see my family,” Trovamala said, speaking hours after Brown announced their transition to remote learning. But COVID-19 had punctured all hope of seeing his family anytime soon.
While his family remains in government-mandated lockdown, Trovamala says he can do nothing but take life one day at a time. “I’m focused on trying not to fall too far behind on classes, trying to graduate on time and supporting my friends,” he said. “You know, everybody is going through something right now.”
But this doesn’t soothe the ever-present worries Trovamala has for the safety of his family, particularly for his two grandmothers, both of whom have compromised immune systems. They haven’t left their homes in weeks. “I don’t know if you’ve heard,” Trovamala said before a long pause; in Italian hospitals, buckling under the load of so many patients, it may become necessary to establish an age limit for access to intensive care, he added.
Trovamala lives on-campus in Machado House. His petition to remain on campus was approved by the University, but he is awaiting news of which residential building he will call “home” for the next few months.
“I’m worried, but I know Brown is doing their best right now,” he said last week. “And I really appreciate the way they are handling this.”
While students who remain on campus continue to take things day by day and make the most of online ways of communicating with loved ones, University faculty and staff are also coming to terms with the semester’s disruption while maintaining their commitment to students.
“So many colleagues and peer mentors have been dedicated and diligently committed to supporting our international student communities over the last few weeks even while navigating their own health challenges, family concerns and obligations,” wrote Associate Dean for International Students Asabe Poloma in an email to The Herald.
And though her team’s “visible initiatives and efforts have been dedicated to material concerns and challenges faced by students,” Poloma wrote, they remain “aware of the socio-emotional and psychological impact of these global health challenges as well as the unique challenges faced by international students.”
Following Brown’s announcement, Trovamala set up a meeting with Vice President for Campus Life Eric Estes and then posted on “Brown Internationals against Coronavirus,” the page Zhu created, to crowdsource questions that people wanted answered. Dozens replied.
“Not losing my visa”
Among those who felt they had unanswered questions was Anna Corradi ’20, also a senior from Italy. She felt supported by deans and advisers at the Global Brown Center for International Students, but was particularly warmed by “student-led efforts to build community.”
Visa limitations topped many international students’ lists of concerns. U.S. government regulations typically allow international students on visas to take just one online class per semester. Students hoping to stay in Providence — or those who are unable to leave — were perplexed at how they could complete the semester with a full online course load without jeopardizing their visa status. Corradi did not even realize this was a possible problem until another student posted in “Brown Internationals against Coronavirus” that the Trump administration had adapted the policy in light of COVID-19. The Facebook page “became an important source of information,” Corradi added.
Corradi, like Trovamala, is in the process of applying for Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows students on F-1 visas to work in the U.S. for a 12-month period following graduation. Students are required to be in the U.S. at the time they submit their OPT application.
She’s found herself exhausted from the mental gymnastics of trying to balance and reason the conflicting positives and negatives of remaining in Providence or traveling to her parents, who currently live in Kenya. “For days, I’ve been going back and forth in my mind between choosing to be stable in Providence, in terms of not losing my visa and knowing that in the U.S. I have Brown health insurance,” Corradi said. “But also, knowing that on the other side of the coin, staying here amid closing borders means that I don’t know when I’m next going to see my family.”
Corradi couldn’t help but wonder, “What is the right choice?” — to stay or to go? But what does “right” mean in such unprecedented circumstances? She isn’t sure. “It’s tricky knowing that rationally, staying here is the best choice, but right now, given there is so much uncertainty, it would be nice to be with family.”
“My version of being with family”
Maddy Noh ’22 has been thinking a lot about what constitutes “home” in recent days. She, like many others, finds herself bound to remaining in Providence. Most of her extended family, including her parents, live in South Korea and “though things are improving there,” she worries about her ability to return to the U.S. for summer job plans if she travels home now. She has a grandmother in California, but does not want to put her at risk by moving in. “Obviously I want to be home with my parents,” she said, “but logistically, I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Her petition to remain in University housing was approved, but she felt growing anxiety that remaining in a dorm would have other mounting health implications. She, along with three other friends who are unable to return to their home countries, began searching online for College Hill homes left vacant from the departure of other Brown students, which they could sublease for the remainder of the semester.
Though she knows the semester ahead will be tough, grounding herself with a couple others will be invaluable, she said. “Since I can’t go to my personal home, being with a few friends is my version of being with family.”
Her parents wish her family could all be together, but they find comfort in knowing there are resources in place to support their daughter some 6,900 miles away. “Since my first step on Brown’s campus, my family has been far away,” Noh said. “But in two short years, so many different people, so many different resources — Residential Peer Leaders, Student Support Deans, international coordinating staff, registrar, financial aid teams — have helped me.”
“If I leave, I can’t come back for senior year”
For Nazem Droubi ’21, being far away from his family has also become a fact of life: He last saw his parents in Lebanon in 2018, and has not returned to his home country of Syria since the summer of 2016.
“I’ve kind of got used to it,” he said. “I do accept that my family isn’t really part of my life right now.”
Still, with life in flux and news updates trickling in daily, space between himself and his parents, some 5,500 miles away, has rarely felt so vast. “It really sucks,” he said. “There is no way to sugarcoat it.”
Returning to his parents living in Damascus would oblige Droubi to serve in the Syrian military, as per the country’s compulsory military service laws.
After fraught discussion, his parents decided to pay the military exemption fee last week. But another obstacle remains: persisting uncertainties around the U.S.-imposed travel bans which place stringent restrictions on travel to the United States for citizens of Libya, among 12 other countries.
“They want me to come back,” Droubi said of his parents last week. “But, at the same time, they’re concerned that if I leave, I can’t come back for senior year.”
“How strong the Brown community can be”
By the afternoon of the March 12 University announcement, Trovamala said that multiple people had asked if he needed help with storage, since he wasn’t able to take his belongings home. Others told him they were keeping him and his family in their thoughts.
Professors had been sending their best wishes and reminding students that they were there for them, Droubi noted. Deans, Noh said, have readily answered questions to the best of their ability.
For Corradi, though the daily stressors of being far from family remain ever-present, she is warmed by the outpouring of support and coalition-building. “This whole thing has really shown how strong the Brown community can be,” she said, “students and staff alike.”
Zhu is pleased that the Facebook page she created has been able to offer vulnerable students a sliver of reassurance amid so much uncertainty. It felt good to lend a helping hand to a community that has offered her so much, she said. “If it’s the last thing I do at Brown, I’ll be content.”
— Olivia George ’22 is an international student from the U.K. who remains in Providence.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Online newspaper article
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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'If only I could teleport home' International students and COVID-19
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Olivia George
Source
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Brown Daily Herald
Publisher
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Brown Daily Herald
Date
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March 26th, 2020
International Students
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fd1fc2605a992d5f759ead72ae9bdc11
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Brown Daily Herald
Description
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This collection consists of articles published by the Brown Daily Herald, the undergraduate daily student newspaper, in regards to COVID-19 at Brown.
Text
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In an effort to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, Rhode Island is receiving $4.9 million in supplemental aid as part of an $8.3 billion spending package issued by the Trump Administration, which comes in addition to a $500,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a press release published on the website of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
The Rhode Island Department of Health will use some of the aid to address the state’s shortage of coronavirus testing kits and protective equipment for doctors and nurses, including masks, gowns and goggles, according to a statement by Gov. Gina Raimondo. Another portion of the aid will contribute to funding a 24/7 hotline for medical questions about coronavirus and self-quarantining, she added.
The money will also go toward vaccine development, monitoring travelers, data management and funding for local governments to protect their communities, according to the press release.
On Tuesday, just one day after Raimondo declared a state of emergency in Rhode Island, the World Health Organization labelled the coronavirus a pandemic, according to The Boston Globe. “Congress did what they should have done. They acted, and they acted quickly,” Raimondo said. “Time is the most important asset right now.”
The number of known coronavirus cases rose from three to five in Rhode Island Tuesday, according to WPRI. Raimondo believes the Ocean State’s proactive response is a necessary precaution as that number continues to rise. She said that countries like Italy provide a warning to Rhode Island, as they were “overwhelmed too quickly” with new cases. “We’re putting in place a robust response in case we get to a place where we’re starting to have to test 100-200 people a day,” she said. “I hope we never get there. But we want to be ready if we (do).”
Whitehouse believes the aid will provide a “significant boost” to the preventative measures already being taken, according to a statement sent to The Herald. He wrote that “bipartisan, bicameral negotiations have moved with urgency” to provide appropriate funding and resources.
In the press release, Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) said that the funding comes at a “critical time,” but believes preventative measures cannot end here. “I’ll continue to advocate with my Congressional colleagues for adequate resources to confront this crisis,” he said.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Online newspaper article
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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$5.4 million in aid issued to Rhode Island to combat COVID-19
Creator
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Corey Gelb-Bicknell
Source
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Brown Daily Herald
Publisher
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Brown Daily Herald
Date
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March 12th, 2020