Issuu

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

VOLUME CLVII, ISSUE 38

BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM

UNIVERSITY NEWS

U. agrees to $1.5 million settlement in class action lawsuit

Nearly 70% of admitted class of 2026 accept spots

Compensation will be distributed among students enrolled in spring 2020 semester

First years cite Open Curriculum, class community as major draws to U.

BY CALEB LAZAR UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR A federal judge granted preliminary approval of a $1.5 million settlement in a class action lawsuit, which three students brought against the University seeking tuition and fee refunds for the spring 2020 semester when the University sent students home and switched to remote learning at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plaintiffs argued that moving to online classes and sending students home constituted a breach of contract, unjust enrichment and conversion — deprival of personal property from an owner without consent — which entitled students to a refund, The Herald previously reported. The three plaintiffs in the class action suit will each receive no

BY JACK TAJMAJER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

University chose not to refund tuition because classes continued remotely. In September 2020, the University filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, The Herald previously reported. A U.S. District Court in Rhode Island judge ruled in favor of it in March 2021. In April

Nearly 70% of students admitted to the University’s class of 2026 accepted a spot last spring, a record-high that slightly surpasses the previous rate set by the class of 2025, Dean of Admission Logan Powell wrote in an email to The Herald. The University removed home equity as an asset when calculating financial need last October, which may have contributed to the high yield rate, Powell added. “This led to substantial and positive

SEE SETTLEMENT PAGE 4

SEE ADMITTED PAGE 5

NAT HARDY / HERALD

After attorney fees and compensation for the three plaintiffs, the University will divide the rest of the settlement funds among the roughly 10,000 students enrolled at Brown during the spring semester. more than $2,000 in compensation, and up to 30% of the settlement fund will go to attorney fees, to be determined at the Jan. 10 hearing, according to court documents. The rest of the compensation will be divided among the nearly 10,000 students who were enrolled at Brown during the spring 2020 semester. A final approval hearing is

scheduled to be held Jan. 10, 2023, according to court documents. A student first filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island in April 2020, The Herald previously reported. Though the University committed to refunding 50 percent of students’ room and board fees for the semester, the

UNIVERSITY NEWS

U. forms search committee to find next provost

Callan named VP for Community Engagement

Paxson will chair search committee to identify Locke’s successor BY MIZUKI KAI SENIOR STAFF WRITER President Christina Paxson P’19 will lead a search committee for the next provost, according to a Tuesday Today@Brown announcement. The search follows an Aug. 11 announcement that Provost Richard Locke P’18 will depart from his role at the end of the 2023 academic year. Locke will assume a new role as vice president and dean of Apple University, The Herald previously reported. According to the announcement, the search committee will be headed by Paxson and include nine members: Anna Aizer, professor of economics; Jennifer Friedman, professor of pediatrics and epidemiology; Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve, associate professor of sociology; Lawrence Larson, professor of engineering; Brian Meeks, professor

of Africana studies; Govind Menon, professor of applied mathematics; John Mustard, professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences and environment and society; Melinda Rabb, professor of English; and Sohini Ramachandran, professor of biology and computer science. The committee, staffed by Marguerite Joutz, chief of staff to the president, will meet in the coming weeks to find Locke’s successor. Paxson wrote that “members of the Brown community will have opportunities to engage in the search process and convey their views on the opportunities, challenges and priorities ahead, as well as key qualities and experiences to seek in the next Provost.” The provost is involved in academics at the University as Brown’s chief academic officer, overseeing operations of the College, Graduate School, School of Engineering, School of Professional Studies, School of Public Health and Warren Alpert Medical School. Paxson wrote that the provost “is responsible for ensuring

SEE SEARCH PAGE 2

Callan will continue to serve as Executive Director of Swearer Center BY SOFIA BARNETT SENIOR STAFF WRITER Mary Jo Callan was appointed as Vice President for Community Engagement and Stark Family Executive Director of the Howard R. Swearer Center for Public Service, effective September 1, according to an August 31 campus-wide email from President Christina Paxson P’19. This newly-established role expands on Callan’s previous position as the Swearer Center’s executive director. Callan’s duties will now also include reporting directly to the President’s Office on the Center’s administrative operations and co-chairing Brown’s new Community Engagement Council, which will bring together University administrators to work on community and civic engagement issues. As vice president, Callan will work to ensure that the University’s com-

SEE CALLAN PAGE 4

COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY

Mary Jo Callan hopes to make University initiatives for community engagement more accessible.

Metro

U. News

S&R

Commentary

Thayer Street continues to see high turnover, closings over summer Page 2

First-years participate in orientation activities despite rain Page 3

School of Public Health discusses ongoing plans, academic initiatives Page 5

Gaber ’23: Overcoming grief takes time, community support Page 6

TODAY TOMORROW

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NEIL MEHTA ’25 DESIGN EDITOR