February 1 – February 8

Welcome to BruNews, a recap of some of the most important happenings in Brown's administration over the past week! We know you don't read those emails. It's okay. We read them for you. February 1:

• Brown releases final action plan to create a diverse and inclusive campus. After extensive discussions and revisions, President Christina Paxson has released the final version of a plan to both foster diversity and inclusivity and combat discrimination across campus. You can read the whole document (in all its 67 pages of glory) here.

February 2:

• Brown faculty designates fall holiday as Indigenous People's Day. At a monthly meeting, Brown's faculty voted to change its Fall Weekend holiday to Indigenous People's Day. The vote took place after a resolution crafted by Native Americans at Brown was passed by the Brown University Community Council.

February 4:

• Announcing the Summer Breakthrough Lab. Via campus-wide e-mail, Provost Richard M. Locke notified students of the kick-off of the second annual Summer Breakthrough Lab (B-Lab), an 8-week entrepreneurship program. B-Lab will commence on June 6, and participants will develop entrepreneurial proficiency by "[engaging] productively in a collaborative and creative environment." Interested students should explore the program's website and attend info sessions on Febrary 11 or February 15 from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. to learn more about the application process.

February 6:

• Corporation approves budget, sets tuition for 2016-17. "The Corporation of Brown University has approved a $1.011-billion consolidated budget for the University’s 2017 fiscal year, a budget plan that invests in academic excellence, addresses a structural deficit, and better aligns resources with the University’s Building on Distinction strategic plan." Tuition for the upcoming year will be $50,224 per person (a 4.0% increase), and total student fees—including room, board, etc.—will be $60,556 (a 4.1% increase); meanwhile, the budget for financial aid will also increase—by 7.1% to $120.5 million.
• Mencoff to become 21st chancellor of Brown University. Samuel M. Mencoff will serve as the Corporation of Brown University's next chancellor. A new vice chancellor and treasurer were also elected.

February 8:

• Add/Drop period extended one day. In light of a school closing, the Brown University Registrar has extended the add/drop registration period by one day. Students will now have until February 10 to register for courses without incurring fees. All other registration dates will remain as previously scheduled.

Image via Jokichi Matsubara '18.