Brown University President Christina H. Paxson announced in a letter to the entire school on Monday, August 3, that she plans to step down at the end of the 2026-27 academic year.
In the letter, Paxson reflected on her tenure as the 19th president of Brown University since July 1, 2012, leading the university with humility and maintaining close connections with students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
She mentioned that she has informed the Board of Trustees that her term will conclude at the end of the 2026-27 academic year, stating that Brown University is well-prepared to embark on a new chapter, with leadership transition ensuring the next phase is led by a new president.
Paxson also noted that she had agreed in May 2025 to extend her term, originally scheduled to end in June 2026, to address the freezing of government funding to Brown University. She looks forward to the school continuing to flourish on the foundation of inspiring new ideas, open collaboration, and curiosity-driven pursuits, believing that the new president will better lead Brown University.
She expressed gratitude towards Brown University, Providence, and the Rhode Island community for the warmth they have shown her and her husband, Ari Gabinet. They have come to consider it a second home and plan to continue contributing to Brown University and the local community.
The frozen funding Paxson mentioned stemmed from the US government’s claims that Brown University had not properly handled campus anti-Semitism, failed to protect Jewish students, and raised questions about compliance with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
In April 2025, the US government froze approximately $510 million in federal funding to Brown University, primarily related to research grants and contracts from institutions like the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
In July 2025, Paxson and the government reached an agreement to restore most of the funding. The terms of the agreement required the university to undergo a third-party evaluation of its campus climate (including for Jewish students) and propose improvement measures. The agreement also stipulated that the government had no authority to intervene in curriculum or academic speech.
On December 13, 2025, a shooting incident occurred in the School of Engineering building on Brown University’s campus, resulting in the deaths of two students and injuries to nine others.
Subsequently, Brown University announced that the Vice President in charge of campus public safety and emergency management, who also served as the Chief of Campus Police, had been suspended, and former Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements Jr. was hired as interim in related roles.
The US Department of Education also conducted a review of Brown University’s safety, emergency alert system, and campus surveillance system. It was reported that a janitor had repeatedly reported suspicious individuals in the building in the weeks leading up to the shooting, but the campus security personnel did not investigate further and instead instructed the reporter to contact campus police.
Following this, Paxson announced enhanced police patrols, expedited upgrades to campus access control and surveillance equipment, and a reassessment of security configurations in high-traffic areas and instructional spaces, while also commissioning external experts to review campus safety protocols.