1 10 77 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51613/archive/files/da840fc2d16749799214b067a82f0f45.png?Expires=1779321600&Signature=D00id%7E1OcYphBEY04NfcnwAvbKiIDtCM0cv3%7EDfx51IYDvTX2jPmRP6TdlWQ1cioft3akBrcng8x8ZchXpjjNzS9kKttOSavZSDng6h4TLDadirBBOB59ABF7RdDC01ef0KpTJUPrTKTcRjLChnfy0Mjvqu8Bt50gylVYKkIlF8oi0Q2DfgUHvvJtLP1Ei77wdO9Wy2NO-YBaFjjSJ2I8pudp5ME4jXIyng-7JLvN%7EdtlnvwGeidLtkw8jf7kyCidA8k70w1%7EcA97wruDE11MtuErJyt8ILiC23aZMi3oIlzREGbI4rpHf504pt%7EtKMB5BcyqkPrbsW9F12AHjaCPA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM c19c5994726b53e07976c6c6d24a92e0 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 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 “Why Brown?” Thousands of prospective students have answered this question as they vied for a coveted spot in the next class of Brunonians. Once the lucky ones were chosen, we all said “yes” for different reasons: the unmatched academic freedom of the Open Curriculum, the ability to connect with world-renowned professors, the incredible diversity and richness of the student body and many more. After having committed to Brown, we meet on College Hill and as we immerse ourselves in all that the University has to offer, we get to experience the reasons behind our original “why Brown” and discover many new reasons why Brown is the place for us. Regardless of what determined our decision, each Brown student wants to indulge in the environment that they agreed to be part of when they were admitted; however, with the COVID-19 pandemic knocking at the Van Wickle Gates, this dream is unfeasible. From the moment most students evacuated campus on March 17, 2020, we all knew this year was going to be different. Finishing the rest of the semester online was not a good substitute for in-person classes, as students contended with technical issues, time zone differences and major resource inequities, among many other challenges. When President Christina Paxson P’19 announced the trimester plan for the 2020-2021 academic year on July 7, it seemed somewhat reasonable to expect that that the COVID-19 pandemic would subside enough to allow for small, socially distant classes by September; however, it has become increasingly clear that the pandemic has not subsided, but has worsened. On March 17 when we evacuated campus, there were 11 new cases in Rhode Island, with a three-day average of 5 new cases. On July 7, there were 47 new cases, with a three-day average of 43 new cases. On Aug. 12, when the Brown administration communicated that students would not be welcome on campus for in-person classes until at least Oct. 5, there were 100 new cases and a three-day average of 100 new cases. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, 102 private, nonprofit colleges and universities in the US are operating fully online for the fall 2020 semester, including peer institutions like Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania. Some of these announcements have come only in the last few weeks as institutions have realigned their plans with the state of the pandemic. I support the University in providing a petition process for students who have extenuating circumstances to come to campus, whether for logistical (e.g. not being able to return home), financial (e.g. prohibitive living expenses) or personal (e.g. not having a safe learning environment) reasons. But in failing to declare a fully remote semester for the rest of the student body and instead holding out on its final decision regarding reopening until mid-September, Brown increases the anxiety that students already feel during these tumultuous times, shreds any ability for students to plan ahead and ultimately puts the lives of students, faculty and staff at risk in order to better serve the University’s ego and coffers. As students, we have been left to wallow in a freakish purgatory, where we are asked time and time again to decide whether to operate virtually or risk our lives for the mere chance at returning to a shell of what once was the in-person Brown community. The moving goalpost of our return to College Hill forces students to make, undo and remake travel plans, which is both stressful and costly. So far, the University has offered no services for helping students plan their travel, which can be especially tricky for students from rural areas or foreign countries where flights to Providence are more difficult to book. There has also been no effort to ameliorate the cost of travel, which includes the base cost of tickets and luggage charges as well as change and cancellation fees. Whether students choose to study remotely or attempt to return, we are being required to pay the same tuition price that we would for a standard semester, a price which increased by 3.75 percent this year to $59,254 (not including room, board, books and other fees). In her April 26 opinion column in The New York Times, Paxson stated that certain aspects of the college experience “just aren’t the same on Zoom,” and she was right. “[T]he fierce intellectual debates, … research opportunities in university laboratories and libraries and the personal interactions among students,” don’t occur when we operate from home, so we shouldn’t be paying tuition as if we are still partaking in such activities. The only justification the University could potentially have for charging such exorbitant prices for a lesser experience is the possibility that students will return in October. Without this unrealistic attempt at returning to in-person learning, there would most certainly be a (fully justified) student uprising to lower tuition. As it stands, the University has a precedent for not refunding tuition for a partially in-person semester since they did not give any tuition refunds after the evacuation in spring 2020. Instead, the University awarded $150 travel stipends and a small, prorated refund of room and board charges. Brown derives millions of dollars of funding from tuition and is quite literally protecting that income stream with student lives. There is an obvious financial benefit to the University if administrators continue to dangle the shimmering but unattainable carrot of in-person learning in front of our noses. Beyond that, offering the possibility of reopening campus this fall also strokes the egoes of University administrators who have stated that they’re doing everything they can to ensure students can return to campus. Paxson in particular has been vocal about this goal, writing the aforementioned opinion column and even testifying in front of the Senate. If Brown conducts a fully remote semester when there is even a slim chance that students could return, both Paxson and the University have to accept that they were wrong. It appears that Paxson is more willing to risk student, faculty and staff lives than be caught with a bit of egg on her face. In short, though I and everyone else connected to the University desperately want to return to our beloved Brunonia, an in-person semester is not worth the safety of those who have built the Brown community. The preservation of life supersedes all other concerns — financial, educational and personal. The Brown community will endure this pandemic even if we are scattered across the world, but we cannot return to education if we are not alive to participate. Emilia Ruzicka ’21 can be reached at emilia_ruzicka@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Brown Daily Herald 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 Ruzicka ’21: Your money or your life Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Emilia Ruzicka Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Brown Daily Herald Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Brown Daily Herald Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 19, 2020 Christina Paxson fall 2020 fall on campus Online Classes op-ed trimester system https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51613/archive/files/5a38b2d1a1f29b0cf9f5bef1a73805df.png?Expires=1779321600&Signature=Hf0r9ctNz94hLymVenMUWsbk-dby%7E1-R6Lg9iAe5KURCD-u%7EzOeeA04n4iF61D2QEY4yE7yXXIBO2wZfY1Ev3WrSEn4Lzr2SV0hSRUH0Suxbwcq-PfNqQTsJp7OFvcZTmPyEb8Si9HNWAleOSnxmuhFGEKZ0XMOGC-0q2TKIaMOGuChU3fj61vPzuIYeVk6Gg1-Uer9fvD73qRpKmV4qU2v4eMklhUpJQQlQfF4-gdkJCHyQKg4fx0Z9tn%7EpEQFxHuKubhmPLWM49slsgKxolaBkP8BNJotqt9pZTK9C3w8fXOhwjW4S0adkeoLEe9Qt-V3veyUXyfG4xchhiNhd9A__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM f96e947a61709ae4cda1945feadbaf0e 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 Dear Blueno Posts Description An account of the resource Screenshots of posts from the public Facebook group "Dear Blueno," an anonymous online forum used dominantly by the Brown community to express their opinions, concerns, or other articulations. Item names are either excerpts from posts or the posts in full. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PNG 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 18900 - I saw Christina Paxson and Rashid Zia on the main green 5 feet apart and not the appropriate 6 feet. Looks like someone thinks they’ll get a universal pass on social distancing; I don’t think so. Xoxo gossip girl 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 18900 - I saw Christina Paxson and Rashid Zia on the main green 5 feet apart and not the appropriate 6 feet. Looks like someone thinks they’ll get a universal pass on social distancing; I don’t think so. Xoxo gossip girl Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Dear Blueno Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 13, 2020 Christina Paxson Rashid Zia Universal Pass unverified https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51613/archive/files/6a814a94a83d15172a72416f208a3c20.png?Expires=1779321600&Signature=a-wIPeuEff8KxxfoyrYx7dffNwWB645huODDvrEH-2FLolGpJOOjsTmiqqX1VcxqZ9QZ%7EKgMUy07dwZnnTOXMTBJAL8p4-aSwJifrCXemHDSqFzgW19E2ROHUtwfskaE0tapRawy2XQ0KQPxmE2i3RERpEMKzHCmKxVLmNSPmn93XVz5KHOXjpDYNudzaAX42TYGTxMciKIUQ7zVdBiO8tK7giulziOspwGOmUfAY42Ely30USZEvOXZszBokd57L3gkgfxj2CwkTtlvlaD%7EfwOwBetxGIEQXAcw0Hk5%7EcSGl5qAu%7EMI4GMjJXhbhr8PfZKZyt2rpDnylVYhNdbtzg__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM c28e69434147e1a40d8ba31928c052dc 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 Dear Blueno Posts Description An account of the resource Screenshots of posts from the public Facebook group "Dear Blueno," an anonymous online forum used dominantly by the Brown community to express their opinions, concerns, or other articulations. Item names are either excerpts from posts or the posts in full. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PNG 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 18671 - Lmao that in the very same email in which Paxson claims to hope to "avoid future layoffs to the best extent practicable," our billions of dollars of endowment "must be protected during this time of volatile financial markets." Nothing is fricking predictable during these times, except for the usual crap. 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 18671 - Lmao that in the very same email in which Paxson claims to hope to "avoid future layoffs to the best extent practicable," our billions of dollars of endowment "must be.... Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Dear Blueno Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 6, 2020 Christina Paxson finances university communications unverified https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51613/archive/files/f7b00561ce54a8f192b06acfcfc2f089.png?Expires=1779321600&Signature=kEhYswSxgrff96VhfyopHmT1%7EZXJK5A2H7EPFcZT1XJsDWO8zb62xGbSeL-1mipKPC2vBOB8ubC8fUOewzjcQzYfV9b0angZUwxKlC6NDgfj5lH2avKuZplqkGAjKFVaq02fEvYeGG6qOmaw1S%7EnmJy5RqZVDgQpfBb1FAQ3DJeoZMhn3ize60uZQ8nYG29sN-LI20O7iEWbHEvgRZ1p%7Ej%7EoMaiVBKcVrzIHKQDNUSJH4TdAp1ESL1L-Mn-5UeCOi-pCBdG1fUTG9y6IMnEPn%7EWknqpwGrALYqoUyOabpjGJjHFwhqin65mtfZ-QNJZsqMzzgFfOP-3%7E4PpFwOe5wQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 404e299bb5aca54c5e6dc0467f41bae4 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 Dear Blueno Posts Description An account of the resource Screenshots of posts from the public Facebook group "Dear Blueno," an anonymous online forum used dominantly by the Brown community to express their opinions, concerns, or other articulations. Item names are either excerpts from posts or the posts in full. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PNG 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 "18386 - topic: grades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *screenshot of email from christina paxson* https://twitter.com/el4y…/status/1244791064591990792/photo/1 Dear Elayna, Thanks for writing. I certainly won't patronize you, and I will speak frankly. I and my team are completely focused on addressing this current global health and economic crisis. This includes keeping the students remaining on campus safe. Keeping the employees who are serving these students safe and employed. Keeping our medical school faculty-many of whom are on the front lines of fighting this disease safe. Keeping the many people in Rhode Island who are jobless and, increasingly, hungry-safe. And figuring out how we can use our labs, dormitories, and dining facilities to support our community in this time of need. Given all this, debates about whether S/NC should be optional or mandatory feel very disconnected from the current reality. The faculty think it's best to have an S/NC-optional policy. I understand that you don't like it, but many of your fellow students and professors disagree. I hope you can accept this, even if you would prefer another outcome. I understand that students are uncertain, and afraid. We all are. Nothing like this has happened in the world for more than 100 years. In this scary time, I hope you will focus on learning, staying healthy, supporting your family, and if you are able, supporting your community, wherever you are. We will get through this and, I hope, come out stronger. Stay safe" 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 "18386 - topic: grades . *screenshot of email from christina paxson*.... Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Dear Blueno Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 31, 2020 Christina Paxson university communications unverified https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51613/archive/files/be6c233015de2b6ca4a0d1fadad5e4a8.png?Expires=1779321600&Signature=nZ7N-2sFAbPjTn0Zealece5A52Q7yQ2W-WrgW6Nu8yrhbtNMHlGmdgUwGwM6A-ZU-CNXKITx0nqkVAEHQRSX2dBZunFhhuz3TKO3MBokaMvDASjWROjf0XUcMQ1v0maS3IaYeZJh%7EC8dF1gvfscWiTIFOYkLxgHsGBvgmkCAJSCc4yavAEqteT%7EU7ud0ZyZ6yytcitwgpgJ5S4WM%7EalSPptCEdMdhjcwMoGEiRQoAhzSsJfIpoO0ExL7%7EhAXroyS33F-XlR%7EScs7EV4I2SbOlyaAJYJ97ZNzjySYW4rRNoT9D7XR-6SSWuzSIVzL3FQ4UzuwAsTXi2iKrynbLVmUyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 4e9d7c2486556fc358be8b4883139a7a 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 Dear Blueno Posts Description An account of the resource Screenshots of posts from the public Facebook group "Dear Blueno," an anonymous online forum used dominantly by the Brown community to express their opinions, concerns, or other articulations. Item names are either excerpts from posts or the posts in full. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PNG 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 17466 - topics: corona questions . . . . . . . . . . . . When is CPax closing the Nelson? 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 17466 - ...When is CPax closing the Nelson? Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Dear Blueno Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 13, 2020 athletics Christina Paxson Closure corona questions unverified https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51613/archive/files/928ac27b4608259647a1a42b31afbe07.png?Expires=1779321600&Signature=IDa2f-jbInqI55fKJcC5DM07EYQJK5z2h-OMgn7-gz2BxsV-CFWYJghCSABtDbyfvneujksKBTMs3fZL03WxxPHoNU7ynZ5oyyffC6xzHgbH2MtMHzfMe2g2Wc6T6PLQ9H09O5RYlRUP6EgRyW-A%7E1mXLrZp5WGms5TbguaCC3zDMwYn60Z2rQPCUNHQA11WCj9SPJ3IqXHLUFqoKI%7E8p%7Ehj7j6x1CkmLPE0KEguPNzUHtCJEwaT1DJTEK67v40f0FMaXRrUNqf2Etm39tBFfcjTeVGH1aJhJHe3trudiy4NYOUKqy3v1fVoA14bMricNRKO%7ESU5v8RMh-xaI3HRig__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 7bceb00c3a37b05009634a1cccd703e0 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 Dear Blueno Posts Description An account of the resource Screenshots of posts from the public Facebook group "Dear Blueno," an anonymous online forum used dominantly by the Brown community to express their opinions, concerns, or other articulations. Item names are either excerpts from posts or the posts in full. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PNG 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 17450 - topics: corona discourse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Angry because our administration has left us in limbo for so long in regards to coronavirus. Because of how long they’ve waited, they’ve let rumors spread, allowed anxiety swell, and have allowed professors to stay on their “we still have an exam tomorrow” bullshit. Now I have to pack my shit up, move out, find flights home, deal with the anxiety of possibly bringing corona to family after my travels, AND I STILL HAVE SEVERAL MIDTERMS LOOMING OVER THE HORIZON. Christina Paxson, you ain’t getting my donation when I become a billionaire. And that’s on PERIOD BITCH. All that money is going where? Towards finding novel methods of increasing student anxiety? I’m waiting for my refund. Either that or ima transfer and talk shit about brown every day at my new school. 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 17450 - ...Angry because our administration has left us in limbo for so long in regards to coronavirus... Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Dear Blueno Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 12, 2020 Christina Paxson midterms move out refunds travel unverified https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51613/archive/files/0a1b132d3ee278de6900653411714c29.png?Expires=1779321600&Signature=F0xJYTxBCkfYlza375%7Ei5SSsvu0scKjoANhZ5S%7EmxkKBb%7EI2z939sOeRNUz2vIA5Zxt0Bx8vBSIIry3f-oxiL%7ED0bV0ZcXMGTcdBw9bhxG4NqNtQOr4zjB0bVQ8x8W%7EtS8kyoADturej28oDAukihVJSka4lHNEHl0xisezeNAiVj04ENbC98BeZnV1c9K86Pz9FVyyoyGY6O8388I4tuVrGmGOiCFfhCpKB1mwg95iMrJrVQlWvbDbpA2CKoaCSe3n%7EZ23lcKqeDpnHLX9lvfzsHHrC0wxdeF2kPibJ3KyXVUibDuEl5%7EiqeA-zjKbeQYRmiVEV0vmfgFF9OIJa4w__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM b74938ca0e3a2468219ff138312dd30d 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 Today@Brown Description An account of the resource This collection captures the different events announced on Today@Brown, a daily email received by all members of Brown, as screenshots. 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 I hope you and your families are healthy and well. I am writing to update you on our plans for the fall semester at Brown. As the weeks have gone by since the July announcement of our three-semester model for bringing students back to campus for the 2020-21 year, I know that many of us have been closely watching the evolving public health situation around COVID-19. Unfortunately, the situation in the country and in Rhode Island has deteriorated over the past several weeks. Given the current landscape, in consultation with public health experts, we have determined it best to take a phased approach to the start of in-person instruction for the fall semester. In the first phase, we will permit only a limited number of students to return to campus before Labor Day. The majority of returning undergraduate students will start the Fall 2020 semester studying remotely, preferably outside of the Providence area. All undergraduate classes will be taught remotely from September 9 until the week of October 5. In the second phase, the remainder of students will be invited to return in late September, provided the public health situation has improved, and in-person instruction of small classes will begin. This staggered arrival of students over a longer time period will better position Brown to address challenges, including quarantine and isolation for any students who test positive for COVID-19. This plan also is in keeping with the data-based and public health-based decision making that has driven our planning since the beginning of the pandemic. These changes do not affect our graduate and medical students who will return to campus before Labor Day (if they are not already in Providence) and, in most cases, will have the opportunity for in-person learning. Additional details about instruction for graduate and medical students, including their participation in the COVID-19 testing program and Rhode Island quarantine regulations, will be shared with those students by the deans of the Graduate School and Medical School. While safety, always, is our top priority, let me say how sorry I am to be writing this letter. I know how eager many of our undergraduates are to return to campus, see their friends and take classes in person, and I understand that a delay of even a few weeks is difficult. Please be assured that Brown faculty and staff have worked tirelessly over the last several months to do all that is needed to safely bring students back to campus, but we must confront the reality that bringing students back in smaller numbers is the safer course. When I announced in July our plans for a three-semester model, I stressed the great uncertainty about how the COVID-19 pandemic would evolve. I also discussed the need for flexibility within our plans, recognizing that it might be necessary to make mid-course corrections and changes if the situation deteriorated across the country or, more importantly, in Rhode Island. Although Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo has taken a number of measures to reverse recent increases in COVID-19 cases, it is unclear whether cases will decline or continue to rise in the coming weeks. Also of concern are high infection rates across the country. Brown’s quarantine and isolation capacity could be unduly stressed if a large number of returning students simultaneously test positive for COVID-19. The modified phased approach to bringing students back to campus does not impact the plans announced in July for a three-term academic calendar. The expectation is that first-year students will still arrive for the spring term and continue to the summer term. Colleagues across campus have been preparing extensively to support the health and safety of students, including setting up an on-campus testing site, training contact tracers, investing in improved air filtration systems, and purchasing additional cleaning supplies. We have also developed a public health education campaign that will encourage all members of our community to do their part to reduce the spread of infection. While we have no control over the current course of the pandemic, we will be ready to bring all of our students back when the situation improves. CRITERIA FOR THE RESUMPTION OF IN-PERSON TEACHING AND LEARNING -- All undergraduates classes will be remote until at least October 5. -- If by September 11, COVID-19 cases in Rhode Island have declined from their current level over a 14-day period and the number of students who test positive for COVID-19 is sufficiently low, then we will follow our current plan to offer many smaller undergraduate courses (with no more than 20 students) in person beginning on October 5. -- If these conditions are not met by September 11, the remainder of the semester will be remote. Bringing undergraduate students to campus for less than seven weeks of in-person instruction would create significant logistical and practical challenges, both for students and the University. MOVE-IN AND FEES FOR DELAYED IN-PERSON CLASSES -- If it is decided on September 11 that in-person classes will begin on October 5, undergraduate students will be invited to move in to their residence halls during the week of September 21. This will allow them to complete any quarantine requirements before attending in-person classes. (See below for the criteria for students to receive permission to return earlier.) -- For undergraduate students who choose to return to campus during the week of September 21, any room and board fees will be pro-rated to account for the shorter time on campus. Students will receive communications in the coming days about how fees will be appropriately adjusted. RECEIVING PERMISSION TO RETURN TO CAMPUS TO LIVE IN RESIDENCE HALLS BEFORE LABOR DAY -- Undergraduate students in the following situations can apply for permission to return to campus to live in residence halls before Labor Day: -- Students who live in unsafe environments; students whose living circumstances are such that remote study is difficult; international students who cannot travel home; and students with other exceptional circumstances (to be assessed on an individual basis). -- Students with previous plans for archival or laboratory research that can only be done on campus. -- Students who receive permission to return to campus to live in residence halls before Labor Day will be invited to move in on their currently-scheduled dates. -- Students who receive permission to return to live in residence halls will be required to fulfill Rhode Island quarantine regulations and enroll in Brown’s COVID-19 testing program to get tested twice per week, free of charge. -- All students will be subject to Brown’s updated COVID-19 Campus Safety Policy, which has been expanded from the COVID-19 Workplace Safety Policy to encompass all teaching, research, learning, work and other activities that are authorized to take place on campus. GUIDANCE FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING -- Undergraduate students with off-campus housing are discouraged from returning to campus until late September, in time to complete quarantine before in-person instruction begins. Those who choose to return or who are already living in the City of Providence will be required to: -- Enroll in Brown’s COVID-19 testing program and get tested twice per week, free of charge. -- Abide by Rhode Island’s quarantine regulations to protect the health of the Brown and Providence communities. All students, faculty and staff will receive follow-up communications from members of my senior leadership team explaining further what to expect for the fall term, given these modified plans for the start of the academic year. We know that participation in a COVID-19 testing and tracing program combined with consistent mask wearing, social distancing and increased hand washing is essential for slowing the spread of this virus. Whenever members of the community return to campus, it will be vitally important that we all embrace our shared responsibility in following these new standards. I know this news is not what our undergraduates were hoping to hear. The uncertainty of what will happen this fall is exceptionally difficult, both logistically and emotionally. I want nothing more than to see all of our students back on campus. However, we must make decisions that prioritize the health and safety of the Brown community as well as the greater Providence community. I recognize that this year will be unlike any other, but we remain committed to delivering Brown’s world-class education. Sincerely, Christina H. Paxson President 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 Modifications to Brown’s plan for Fall 2020 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource President Christina H. Paxson Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Today@Brown Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 12, 2020 Christina Paxson fees off campus Online Classes testing trimester system university communications updated fall reopening plan https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51613/archive/files/683f69b1ad0ea6be97e55286fb5b48d9.png?Expires=1779321600&Signature=ROo7LdqIK138%7Ee0G0ZpO16%7EkQrh%7EpcYcF3E61xidpil%7EaPTxYSx-vGzyfqZQ-q9J-IJC2t0vRoDElysVYyvwwZG6ORw4CziR5CkGq1VCclumSTDxRCG9ZcEv2RD6Ekby%7ELdejLiwvDfiMf-az-LE9Nsxm3205XaLu5fKh9hoJk0jvf4JFmz-FFFna8HoSrl2R05-0lk92lYBGaWrxzxh1TWH4QMfK1F9nDtTeJ0r8T5Wy9Aizdv4NXR1zGkiHzmn4yLUFbWrFZqYhmnWmlCSQw6g5ep2FKUEkMAJCyqdXE2C0CUbQ6VscVnhxDkIA0s0temrMNt6RpYjtraYaa%7EmVA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 0f544b45cd50996908d737851b77ccf7 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 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 On Aug. 11, President Christina Paxson P’19 announced “modifications” to the University’s original fall 2020 plans released on July 7 (though the term “reversal” is more appropriate in my view). This announcement came the day after students were supposed to (but didn’t) receive their housing information, less than a week before the start of the pre-registration add/drop period and, most glaringly, less than three weeks before students were supposed to arrive on College Hill beginning Aug. 29. Ultimately, I support this decision, as I believe it is in the best interest of safety for students and the greater Providence community. But the suddenness of President Paxson’s recent reversal, juxtaposed against her April 26 op-ed for the New York Times, raises questions about whether she actually prioritized safety before. Many other schools were putting safety first weeks ago through decisive actions and clear communications. Several institutions in New England that had intended to reopen in person have since backtracked and will be offering all fall 2020 courses online, such as Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory in Boston on July 22, as well as Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, on Aug. 5. Plenty of other schools along the East Coast have made similar decisions, including Princeton, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University and American University. Brown University stands out as having reversed course and deciding to start the semester all-online only after many other peer institutions had already decided to do so. The reversal casts the viability of the University’s original plan into deep doubt. The need for a new plan seems to be an implicit admission that the University was unable to keep students safe under its previous plan. While Brown’s decision now appears to be the best option for keeping our community safe, the fact that the University’s reversal follows the decisions of many other schools raises a sobering question of whether or not safety, in Paxson’s adamance for reopening, had been a top priority up to this point. The University may have made this new, last-minute decision in the true interest of safety, but perhaps it is simply following its peer institutions because not doing so would be otherwise indefensible. Paxson’s op-ed is perhaps the best example of her original commitment to reopening with little regard for whether the environment is actually safe. Paxson titled her piece in a way that speaks for itself: “College Campuses Must Reopen in the Fall. Here’s How We Do It.” The opinion piece focused on the economic harm that could be caused by not reopening college campuses, whereas the term “safely” was used a mere three times, suggesting that safety may not be Paxson’s guiding principle for reopening. Interestingly, Paxson makes her argument as if she were an infectious diseases expert, when in fact she is a health and family economist. More importantly, the University’s messaging around safety and how it would have responded to safety concerns under the previous plan have become even less clear in light of this new change. “Colleges and universities must be able to safely handle the possibility of infection on campus while maintaining the continuity of their core academic functions,” Paxson wrote in her April op-ed. Furthermore, Paxson wrote, “Our duty now is to marshal the resources and expertise to make it possible to reopen our campuses, safely, as soon as possible.” If this were true, it would mean that a safe reopening, according to Paxson, is achievable; all an institution would need to do is simply take the proper steps. Therefore, the University’s last-minute decision to not reopen campus in September is indicative of one or both of the following: Either Brown failed in its planning for a safe reopening, or Paxson, a health economist but not a health care professional, exaggerated and overstated the realm of possibility for students to safely return to college campuses in the age of COVID-19. What has changed in the state of Rhode Island since July 7, the day that Brown announced its fall 2020 decision? The seven-day average of reported deaths due to COVID-19 has remained in the low single digits since early July and has even been in consistent decline since then. It is also true that Rhode Island’s number of new, daily reported cases is significantly higher than it was on July 7. Paxson did note in a June 23 faculty meeting that she would reverse course in August if conditions worsened sufficiently. However, if we follow Paxson’s logic in her op-ed, this increase in rate of cases shouldn’t matter as long as the University can “safely handle the possibility of infection on campus,” which, as Paxson indicated, “universities must be able” to do. There seems to be a discrepancy between what Paxson promised in her op-ed and what would actually constitute a safe way forward. Paxson also maintained in her op-ed that universities’ plans should not involve sending students home in response to “upticks or resurgences in infections.” The University is clearly shifting, either for a month or for a semester, to remote learning, with the situation in Rhode Island having “deteriorated” within the past few weeks. Perhaps the University is hoping to avoid this problem of sending students home by not allowing students to return to campus in the first place, but this once again reveals a flaw in Paxson’s op-ed argument: The University is no longer living up to her confident claims that campuses will be able to safely reopen this fall. Last-minute decisions and a lack of transparency provide for little student flexibility, and these patterns of action among University administration are not new: Brown’s reopening plan was announced on July 7, just five weeks ago, and students were asked to hastily make a decision as to whether or not they wanted to return to campus by July 15, just four weeks ago. Likewise, undergraduate students intending to live in University housing were told that they would receive housing information by Aug. 10, but the Division of Campus Life quietly changed this to the week of Aug. 10. Three weeks prior to the beginning of a semester is when universities and their students should normally be making their final preparations for the beginning of the semester. But instead, by pushing a necessary decision to the last minute, the University has confused and deeply stressed students. Many more last-minute decisions are likely to follow, and there appears to be no end in sight, harming the almost 85 percent of students who had been preparing to return to campus. I am a rising senior, and even with my occasional criticisms, I have loved my time at Brown. Personally, this decision is disappointing, effectively eliminating my senior year experience. But as much as I want to return to campus and attend in-person classes, I am glad that Paxson and the University finally seem to have come to their senses, making safety their priority by taking the most extreme step needed to protect the community: keeping our campus population as small as possible. But this decision and its context, based in Paxson’s apparent newfound interest in safety, highlights the University’s conspicuous patterns of overpromising, underdelivering and turning its back on students, especially those facing, in Paxson’s own words, “financial, practical and psychological barriers as they try to learn remotely.” Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit ’21 is a concentrator in anthropology, French and Francophone studies and Latin American and Caribbean studies. He misses College Hill dearly and can be reached at poom_pipatjarasgit@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com. 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 A name given to the resource Pipatjarasgit ’21: President Paxson, since when has safety been your priority? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Brown Daily Herald Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Brown Daily Herald Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 14, 2020 Christina Paxson fall 2020 housing Online Classes op-ed pre-registration updated fall reopening plan https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51613/archive/files/79115f19059b5193cf110ea91043ca60.pdf?Expires=1779321600&Signature=ElNH5%7EZYkD9u8fPr%7EBFF6jPey0NDkZRypPB3LUU5leRBmszMWL-%7EEGWYy7HQuKJXZbsSNmIxwbmV81VgZu2Le7ccw-6AiaUpFG7EfldQj772BX33M2jGWUdCPgWKh0KV19auKKdwNZ2NQioLq6C3xmlgVnTeDo5TMxh6Xbzq3ZazLZ3uezPLktxCq1y6j%7Ex8D1atXQiTTaN9c9R774AxY13xGekj12Vvy55qEiBpg0Moba8Obr0dbTjV5YO%7EBov9uIatfxMem1qG9THBRowSvbUWthWcViKzPgnGm5IWRxyJelOXoatABM%7Em4e-5W0Xfl3I6U-uH4FofAVzgCB1GSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM d4c95888dee577221f67503775f8298d 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 Brown Community Members, I hope you and your families are healthy and well. I am writing to update you on our plans for the fall semester at Brown. As the weeks have gone by since the July announcement of our three-semester model for bringing students back to campus for the 2020-21 year, I know that many of us have been closely watching the evolving public health situation around COVID-19. Unfortunately, the situation in the country and in Rhode Island has deteriorated over the past several weeks. Given the current landscape, in consultation with public health experts, we have determined it best to take a phased approach to the start of in-person instruction for the fall semester. In the first phase, we will permit only a limited number of students to return to campus before Labor Day. The majority of returning undergraduate students will start the Fall 2020 semester studying remotely, preferably outside of the Providence area. All undergraduate classes will be taught remotely from September 9 until the week of October 5. In the second phase, the remainder of students will be invited to return in late September, provided the public health situation has improved, and in-person instruction of small classes will begin. This staggered arrival of students over a longer time period will better position Brown to address challenges, including quarantine and isolation for any students who test positive for COVID-19. This plan also is in keeping with the data-based and public health-based decision making that has driven our planning since the beginning of the pandemic. These changes do not affect our graduate and medical students who will return to campus before Labor Day (if they are not already in Providence) and, in most cases, will have the opportunity for in-person learning. Additional details about instruction for graduate and medical students, including their participation in the COVID-19 testing program and Rhode Island quarantine regulations, will be shared with those students by the deans of the Graduate School and Medical School. While safety, always, is our top priority, let me say how sorry I am to be writing this letter. I know how eager many of our undergraduates are to return to campus, see their friends and take classes in person, and I understand that a delay of even a few weeks is difficult. Please be assured that Brown faculty and staff have worked tirelessly over the last several months to do all that is needed to safely bring students back to campus, but we must confront the reality that bringing students back in smaller numbers is the safer course. When I announced in July our plans for a three-semester model, I stressed the great uncertainty about how the COVID-19 pandemic would evolve. I also discussed the need for flexibility within our plans, recognizing that it might be necessary to make mid-course corrections and changes if the situation deteriorated across the country or, more importantly, in Rhode Island. Although Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo has taken a number of measures to reverse recent increases in COVID-19 cases, it is unclear whether cases will decline or continue to rise in the coming weeks. Also of concern are high infection rates across the country. Brown’s quarantine and isolation capacity could be unduly stressed if a large number of returning students simultaneously test positive for COVID-19. The modified phased approach to bringing students back to campus does not impact the plans announced in July for a three-term academic calendar. The expectation is that first-year students will still arrive for the spring term and continue to the summer term. Colleagues across campus have been preparing extensively to support the health and safety of students, including setting up an on-campus testing site, training contact tracers, investing in improved air filtration systems, and purchasing additional cleaning supplies. We have also developed a public health education campaign that will encourage all members of our community to do their part to reduce the spread of infection. While we have no control over the current course of the pandemic, we will be ready to bring all of our students back when the situation improves. Criteria for the Resumption of In-person Teaching and Learning  All undergraduate classes will be remote until at least October 5.  If by September 11, COVID-19 cases in Rhode Island have declined from their current level over a 14-day period and the number of students who test positive for COVID-19 is sufficiently low, then we will follow our current plan to offer many smaller undergraduate courses (with no more than 20 students) in person beginning on October 5.  If these conditions are not met by September 11, the remainder of the semester will be remote. Bringing undergraduate students to campus for less than seven weeks of in-person instruction would create significant logistical and practical challenges, both for students and the University. Move-in and Fees for Delayed In-Person Classes  If it is decided on September 11 that in-person classes will begin on October 5, undergraduate students will be invited to move in to their residence halls during the week of September 21. This will allow them to complete any quarantine requirements before attending in-person classes. (See below for the criteria for students to receive permission to return earlier.)  For undergraduate students who choose to return to campus during the week of September 21, any room and board fees will be pro-rated to account for the shorter time on campus. Students will receive communications in the coming days about how fees will be appropriately adjusted. Receiving Permission to Return to Campus to Live in Residence Halls before Labor Day  Undergraduate students in the following situations can apply for permission to return to campus to live in residence halls before Labor Day: o Students who live in unsafe environments; students whose living circumstances are such that remote study is difficult; international students who cannot travel home; and students with other exceptional circumstances (to be assessed on an individual basis). o Students with previous plans for archival or laboratory research that can only be done on campus.  Students who receive permission to return to campus to live in residence halls before Labor Day will be invited to move in on their currently-scheduled dates.  Students who receive permission to return to live in residence halls will be required to fulfill Rhode Island quarantine regulations and enroll in Brown’s COVID-19 testing program to get tested twice per week, free of charge.  All students will be subject to Brown’s updated COVID-19 Campus Safety Policy, which has been expanded from the COVID-19 Workplace Safety Policy to encompass all teaching, research, learning, work and other activities that are authorized to take place on campus. Guidance for Undergraduate Students with Off-campus Housing  Undergraduate students with off-campus housing are discouraged from returning to campus until late September, in time to complete quarantine before in-person instruction begins. Those who choose to return or who are already living in the City of Providence will be required to: o Enroll in Brown’s COVID-19 testing program and get tested twice per week, free of charge. o Abide by Rhode Island’s quarantine regulations to protect the health of the Brown and Providence communities. All students, faculty and staff will receive follow-up communications from members of my senior leadership team explaining further what to expect for the fall term, given these modified plans for the start of the academic year. We know that participation in a COVID-19 testing and tracing program combined with consistent mask wearing, social distancing and increased hand washing is essential for slowing the spread of this virus. Whenever members of the community return to campus, it will be vitally important that we all embrace our shared responsibility in following these new standards. I know this news is not what our undergraduates were hoping to hear. The uncertainty of what will happen this fall is exceptionally difficult, both logistically and emotionally. I want nothing more than to see all of our students back on campus. However, we must make decisions that prioritize the health and safety of the Brown community as well as the greater Providence community. I recognize that this year will be unlike any other, but we remain committed to delivering Brown’s world-class education. Sincerely, Christina H. Paxson President Subject Line The content of the subject line of the email Important modifications to Brown’s plan for the Fall 2020 semester From The name and email address of the person sending the email Christina Paxson 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: Aug 11, President Paxson to Brown Community Subject The topic of the resource Important modifications to Brown’s plan for the Fall 2020 semester Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Christina Paxson Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 11, 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF 2020-21 academic year plan Christina Paxson fall 2020 Online Classes providence https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51613/archive/files/b84ccc1077d215905717f5d26e54fc6b.pdf?Expires=1779321600&Signature=A%7ELXPYzAcSGX44uTcnQC77xoMs2-Ww9eoIbPt184yB3FnCRAdlGqz80lIqYhv6S7Rs12d4i%7EiBP%7EHXgnck-Yg5T3ekscFIzv0UoUA8manjLcxP234ksOKjFE4AexUMrT%7E-Z-oSc13j1odoCToUGbVzUDEgy24uemQaFsaFEHYFOE4hdCmbL9WB-VGALZu5TSt20eLXBK2aovdQ9DmXvyNd40RIeHzgUoMHa5lHsmkQU3UKkCMdPmqWSkfJ4URtNzXKPLKCZZb-K-SuYs7eShuRRUIrH60KpjcOzPBBoLcN7Z-evx2IhQdJmzbe08mAfMyaLgqxj%7Epk6yDOaU-38z%7EA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM fed1ec042b113b15fe6208f839d5c1fe 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 Brown Community Members, Amid the ongoing global pandemic, new guidance for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program issued on July 6 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will prohibit international students from returning to or remaining in the United States if the colleges they attend adopt online-only instruction for Fall 2020, or if students choose online-only instruction. This new temporary rule is nothing short of cruel. It comes at a time when every student, regardless of their country of origin, should benefit from the maximum level of flexibility to pursue their studies in a manner that they or their institutions decide has the highest capacity to support their health and safety. The rule creates stark disadvantages for international students by placing the fate of their studies in the hands of an institution’s ability to plan for a virus that is wholly unpredictable. The rule is also a direct threat to public health. It will exert pressure on institutions to offer in-person classes, even if they have concluded that online instruction is best for the health of their communities. In this time of great uncertainty, every college and university should be free to make the choice of how to most safely provide education based on their own specific circumstances and the health guidelines in their states. For these reasons, I strongly support the actions taken today by Harvard and MIT seeking a temporary restraining order with a U.S. District Court to block the implementation of this new rule. Because Brown is planning a hybrid semester, with a blend of in-person and online courses, international students will be able to register for at least one in-person class, making it possible for them to remain in the country. However, this would not be the case if, in the event of a major resurgence of the virus in New England, Brown had to shift to fully online instruction. In the coming weeks, assuming that the DHS rule remains in effect, we will work with faculty to develop plans to minimize the chance that any of our international students—undergraduate, graduate or medical—are forced to leave the country. In terms of immediate steps for our students, Brown is monitoring and analyzing SEVP guidance and clarifications to ensure that all returning international students will be enrolled in the required level of in-person instruction as required by SEVP. The University’s Global Brown team has communicated directly with our international students and will support their decision-making in the context of the hybrid model of mixed in-person and online courses I announced Tuesday as part of Brown’s instructional approach for the 2020-21 year. We continue to support our international students, who are valued and wonderful members of our community, and we are working with our peers to identify ways to oppose the DHS policy. Sincerely, Christina H. Paxson President Subject Line The content of the subject line of the email Supporting Brown’s International Students From The name and email address of the person sending the email Christina Paxson 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: July 8, President Paxson to Brown Community Subject The topic of the resource Supporting Brown’s International Students Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Christina Paxson Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 8, 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Christina Paxson International Students