SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD VOLUME CLX, ISSUE 10
BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM
FRIDAY, APRIL 4
WHITE HOUSE SET TO FREEZE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN UNIVERSITY FUNDING
Follow along with live updates to this story at browndailyherald.com ANISHA KUMAR / HERALD
BY ROMA SHAH WITH CATE LATIMER AND CLAIRE SONG SENIOR STAFF WRITER AND SECTION EDITORS The Trump administration plans to halt $510 million of federal funding to Brown, a White House official told The Herald. This would make Brown the fifth Ivy League university to face federal funding freezes or cuts.
Brown did not provide more information about the federal funding freeze. “We have no information to substantiate what’s being reported,” University Spokesperson Brian Clark wrote in an email to The Herald. The reason for the planned cut was not made immediately clear by the White House official. In March, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 outlined how the University
would respond to federal attacks on its academic freedom. Brown “would be compelled to vigorously exercise our legal rights to defend these freedoms,” Paxson wrote in a letter to the community. At last month’s faculty meeting, Paxson also shared some of the University’s contingency plans if its funding is severely impacted. The plans include layoffs and potentially withdrawing from Brown’s investment in the William A. and Ami Kuan
Danoff Life Sciences Laboratories. The University’s planned seven-story laboratory is currently under construction in the Jewelry District. Brown is also currently facing a $46 million structural budget deficit due to its efforts to transition from a liberal arts institution to a leading research institution. The planned $510 million federal funding threat would be over 10 times the size of the deficit.
The University’s endowment stands at around $7.2 billion, as of June 2024. The endowment is the smallest among all Ivy League institutions. Brown, along with 59 other universities, was notified by the U.S. Department of Education last month of potential “enforcement actions” if they failed to “protect Jewish students on campus.”
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Corporation members praise U. protection of Jewish life amid federal funding threat Chancellor Brian Moynihan ’81 P’14 P’19 is among statement’s signatories BY CATE LATIMER AND CLAIRE SONG UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITORS In a Thursday statement sent to The Herald, members of the Brown Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — and leadership of Brown-RISD Hillel said that Brown has upheld its commitment to religious freedom and Jewish life on campus. The statement, which was signed by Brown’s Chancellor and Bank of America’s CEO Brian Moynihan ’81 P’14 P’19 and former Chancellor and
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current trustee Samuel Mencoff ’78, among others, comes amid a planned $510 million freeze on federal funds to Brown. Rabbi Josh Bolton, the executive director of Brown-RISD Hillel, also signed onto the statement. “Brown University is home to a vibrant Jewish community that continues to flourish with the steadfast support of the administration,” the statement reads. “Amidst broader concerns about antisemitism on college campuses, Brown stands out as an inclusive environment where Jewish life is deeply integrated into campus culture,” they wrote, citing initiatives such as the establishment of the Kosher Kitchen at the Sharpe Refectory. They praised President Christina
Paxson P’19 P’MD’20. Amid pro-Palestine campus protests, the group says Paxson maintained “unwavering support” for the Jewish community at Brown, adding that she attended a Chabad dinner after the October 7 attack of Hamas on Israel, “underscoring her commitment to supporting Jewish students during a painful and uncertain time.” The signatories also reference the “strong, collaborative” relationship between Hillel and Brown Chabad, another Jewish organization supporting students on campus. They say the organizations’ collaboration is “rare among university campuses and central to the fabric of student life here.” “While no school, including Brown, is perfect, this campus offers a wel-
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coming environment where you can be a proud Jew,” the statement reads. “With all the ongoing discussions about antisemitism on college campuses, one might easily suspect that these environments are disaster zones for Jewish life. At Brown University, this is not the case,” they wrote, referencing last year’s divestment proceedings. They said the student-led proposal demanded Brown divest its endowment from companies affiliated with Israel was “appropriately processed through campus channels” before being voted down. In late 2023, 61 students were arrested following sit-in protests at University Hall, which demanded the University support divestment from “Israeli military occupation” and call for
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a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, The Herald previously reported. Early February 2024, over a dozen students participated in an eight-day hunger strike. Two months later, over 80 students began a week-long encampment on the Main Green, calling for divestment. “While there is more work to be done, Brown, through the dedicated efforts of its administration, leadership and the resilient spirit of its Jewish community, continues to uphold the principles of inclusion, tolerance, and intellectual freedom that have been central to its identity since 1764,” the statement concludes.
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