Related Issue
Fall 2025
University News
Values & Voice
A letter from the President
By Christina Paxson / Fall 2025
September 19th, 2025
In May, the Brown faculty and the Brown Corporation approved Brown’s first-ever “Statement of University Values and Voice,” which will guide the University in the fulfillment of its mission for generations to come.
The values that Brown has adopted are: the pursuit of knowledge and understanding; academic freedom and freedom of expression; a commitment to openness and diversity of ideas, perspectives, and experiences; and responsibility for a thriving academic community.
The “Statement of University Values and Voice” says that, although Brown (as an institution) can and at times must use its voice to speak about issues directly related to its mission of education and research, it should not use its voice—through statements or actions—to take positions on matters unrelated to its mission.
While Brown’s charter has given the institution clear purpose across generations, you may be surprised that the University had never before defined its core institutional values. The importance of doing so was highlighted by the Advisory Committee on University Resources Management (ACURM) last fall. ACURM is responsible for reviewing whether investments and expenditures of the University’s financial resources are consistent with Brown’s mission and values. In a 2024 report on a proposal for divestment, ACURM noted that the absence of clearly defined institutional values made it challenging for the committee to fulfill its role.
It was clear that this should not be the case. Brown is constantly faced with important questions—whether and when to make statements, how to invest resources, how to manage difficult tradeoffs, and what to prioritize among multiple competing concerns. Answers to these challenging questions must be guided by Brown’s mission and a clearly defined set of values.
Faculty, staff, students, and alumni submitted written feedback and participated in town halls to share their perspectives.
Last fall, I asked the chair of Brown’s Faculty Executive Committee to form a committee to explore this issue and make recommendations. The committee, led by Chair and Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology James R. Kellner, was charged with articulating in plain, uncomplicated terms a core set of principles that guide how the University goes about advancing its mission. From the outset, it was important that the “Statement of University Values and Voice” not be conceived as a response to any particular political moment or controversy, but rather have durability as a lasting framework for University decisions and actions now and into the future.
The ad hoc committee led a thoughtful process reflecting the input of thousands of members of the Brown community. Faculty, staff, students, and alumni submitted written feedback and participated in town halls to share their perspectives. Our community can be proud of this inclusive process, which led to a recommendation on the “Statement of University Values and Voice” that was supported by a substantial majority of the faculty and approved by the Corporation.
It’s important to note that these core institutional values, which will guide University decisions, are distinct from individual or community values. Individuals within the Brown community represent a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and bring with them a rich diversity of viewpoints and individual values—and this remains critical for academic excellence. The University, by refraining from expressing views on issues unrelated to its mission, sustains an environment in which members of our community are free to express their views.
Our focus will now turn to establishing how the statement will be implemented on campus. This fall, a new committee of students, faculty, and staff will assess whether current University policies and committee charges need to be modified to ensure that they are aligned with the University’s values and voice.
I am proud that the community came together to do this important work, and I encourage you to read the full committee report, which can be found at brown.edu/about/mission. While we cannot anticipate every decision we may face in the future, I am confident that Brown is now more prepared than ever before with a clear framework for decision-making that will guide us in fulfillment of our mission.
