Corporation members joined faculty and students to celebrate the completed renovations of Friedman Hall at the annual fall meeting, President Christina Paxson P’19 wrote in a campus-wide email Sunday.
“Friedman is our most heavily used classroom building, and the interior spaces provide the excellent instructional facilities Brown students and faculty deserve,” Paxson wrote. “The addition of convening, study and social spaces has made Friedman even more active and vibrant, and, most importantly, the building is now fully accessible.”
The Corporation also formally accepted gifts and pledges of more than $89 million since their May meeting. The funds will go toward “the performing arts, the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, endowed professorships, financial aid, graduate education, athletics, and support for a range of academic programs,” Paxson wrote.
As of January 2018, the University had surpassed its midpoint fundraising goal for the BrownTogether campaign, raising $1.64 billion. These gifts help keep the University on track toward its $3 billion fundraising goal by 2022.
Additionally, Corporation members discussed graduate student unionization, faculty hiring and diversity and improvements in health, wellness and residential life. Highlights from the meeting also included an update on the Performing Arts Center. In addition, the University is currently in the process of selected an architect for the health and wellness dorm at 450 Brook St, which was approved by the Providence’s City Plan Commission in April.
Corporation members engaged in an informal discussion with students as “part of the continued effort to increase communication and engagement between members of the Corporation and the student body,” Paxson wrote. The conversations centered on the Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan as well as the University’s strategic plan Building on Distinction.
The Corporation elected three new Trustees as well as Viet Nguyen ’17, who will serve a two-year term as a New Alumni Trustee following an annual election process. The Corporation also approved the appointment of five faculty members to named chairs, Paxson wrote.
An earlier version of this article stated that the performing arts center will be constructed at 450 Brook St. and that the project received approved from Providence's City Plan Commission. In fact, the planned health and wellness center and residence hall project will be constructed at 450 Brook St. and received approval from the Commission. The University has begun the process of selecting an architect for the wellness center. The Herald regrets the error.
