The recommendations of the two committees offer a roadmap for educational innovation and ensuring Brown’s financial sustainability. The program is designed to translate the recommendations into action and progress.

1. The Ad Hoc Committee on Promoting Financial Health and Sustainability. Upon concluding its work in April 2021, this committee charged by President Paxson made a set of recommendations that could result in cost savings to the University of $26 million to $57 million annually over time, while also spurring investments in technology, professional development, online education and other areas that could contribute to Brown’s financial health through revenue generation.
   View the Ad Hoc Committee Report


2. Education Innovation Committee. This committee, charged by Provost Locke in spring 2021, continues its work to build on the lessons learned from teaching innovations developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes attention to access, flexibility and equitable assessment in the educational opportunities Brown provides on campus, locally and globally.

The program draws together leaders from across the University. Its executive sponsors at its start in 2021 include President Paxson, Provost Locke, Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy Russell Carey and the executive vice president for finance and administration. Its work groups are overseeing an array of changes that yield real and lasting impact.

The events of early 2020 — a global pandemic, increasing evidence of climate change, ripple effects of systemic racism and political divisiveness — demonstrated that the work of research universities such as Brown is critical. However, persisting economic vulnerabilities face colleges and universities, many of which predated the pandemic. These challenges include an over-reliance on undergraduate tuition and fees to support operations, a nationally shrinking pool of college-aged students, and slow growth in academic employment opportunities in some disciplines.

The University learned during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic that the institution is capable of rapid innovation and change in how we educate and operate. The Ad Hoc Committee on Promoting Financial Health and Sustainability and the Education Innovation Committee were convened to consider how Brown can harness what the institution learned during the pandemic, enabling Brown to emerge as a stronger University and community.

The two committees were charged with engaging in long-range planning to reduce Brown’s reliance on tuition and fees and ensure continued growth in the quality of our academic programs. This not only serves to benefit Brown students but also will ensure Brown’s reach and impact locally and globally.

A central component of gaining academic strength requires eliminating Brown’s small but persistent structural deficit. In addition, President Christina H. Paxson established a goal of identifying new resources that can be invested in core academic infrastructure such as laboratories and libraries, and improvements in other campus facilities such as classrooms and residence halls.

The Program on Innovation and Financial Sustainability draws together leaders from across the University with a shared commitment to these efforts. At its helm starting in 2021 are executive sponsors including President Paxson, Provost Richard M. Locke and Executive Vice President Russell Carey, as well as the executive vice president for finance and administration. Its work groups are overseeing an array of changes that yield real and lasting impact.