The Corporation of Brown University

Corporation Committees

Much of the work of the Corporation is done through standing committees and subcommittees. Ad hoc committees are appointed from time to time to address a specific theme or issue.

Committee Overview

Main Committees

The Corporation has three main committees: Committee on Academic Affairs, Committee on Budget and Finance, and Committee on Campus Life. Each member of the Corporation must serve on one of these committees. The president, chancellor, vice chancellor, treasurer, secretary and the chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee may serve on more than one of these committees.

Chairs are nominated by the Governance and Nominating Committee for one-year terms, which are renewable for a maximum of six years. Each of the Corporation’s standing committees meets at least three times annually and submits an annual report to the Corporation. Additional information about standing committees and meetings is included in the Corporation Statutes.

Committees and Subcommittees

View a listing and details of Corporation Committees and Subcommittees

The Committee on Academic Affairs shall keep itself fully and currently informed concerning the academic affairs of the University and has oversight responsibility for matters pertaining to the Faculty and the programs of teaching and research pursued in all academic areas across the University. It shall advise the President and the Corporation on academic matters pertaining to undergraduate, graduate, and medical education, and may designate such subcommittees as it deems necessary to deal with these and other academic issues.

The Committee on Budget and Finance shall keep itself fully and currently informed concerning the fiscal affairs of the University and shall advise the President and the Corporation on fiscal matters. 

The Committee has specific responsibilities for recommending expenditure and revenue budgets each fiscal year, but shall primarily concern itself with monitoring and assessing the long-range fiscal planning and health of the University. It shall be informed in doing so by the work of the Committees on Academic Affairs, Facilities and Campus Planning and its Subcommittee on Real Estate and Development, Campus Life, and Investment, and the University’s overall academic plans and initiatives. 

The Committee on Campus Life shall keep itself fully and currently informed concerning all extracurricular activities and nonacademic affairs that affect the life of the undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, and shall advise the President and Corporation on such matters.

The Committee on Communications, Alumni and External Affairs shall keep itself fully and currently informed concerning Brown’s communications with and relations to off-campus constituencies, including media outlets; local, state and federal government agencies; alumni groups; parents and families; prospective students; and the public at large, both domestically and internationally.

The Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion shall keep itself fully and currently informed concerning the strategies Brown employs to maintain an equitable working and teaching environment, and to increase diversity and inclusion, consistent with the goal of improving Brown’s strength in education and research. It shall advise the President and the Corporation on matters pertaining to advancing Brown’s mission of academic excellence by diversifying the faculty, staff and student bodies; increasing departmental and university accountability; and implementing a set of curricular, co-curricular and student life enhancements that promote the success of all students within an open and supportive intellectual environment, and help achieve Brown’s goal of becoming a national leader in diversity and inclusion. 

Brown University is a dynamic center of research, teaching and extracurricular life housed in a rich and historic architectural setting. The campus is an eclectic mix of architectural styles that emphasizes the University’s long history as well as its forward-looking outlook. The human scale and compact size of the Brown campus supports intellectual exchange across disciplines and instills a sense of community among its members. The buildings, common spaces, walkways, greens, and sustainable practices that comprise the campus are an essential component of the University’s academic excellence, and must be stewarded in a strategic manner with the goal of fostering and increasing that excellence in the near and long-term.

The Committee on Facilities and Campus Planning is the steward of the campus, and through the exercise of its charge is responsible for ensuring the facilities and campus planning activities fully support Brown’s commitment to academic excellence. Towards that goal, the Committee shall keep itself fully and currently informed concerning all matters relating to the physical resources, facilities, infrastructure, landscaping, campus planning and aesthetic development of the University, and shall advise the President and the Corporation on strategic planning matters, which envision changes to the campus to enhance the learning environment and enrich the culture of collaborative research, scholarship, and intellectual exchange which distinguish Brown.

The Committee on Facilities and Campus Planning shall have a standing Subcommittee on Design Review.

The Committee on Facilities and Campus Planning shall have a standing Subcommittee on Public Art.

The Subcommittee shall be charged with the development and oversight of a plan for the acquisition and display of public art at Brown with the goal of elevating and promoting the arts at Brown through the strategic use of the campus as an outdoor gallery for a vibrant and engaging public art collection, comprised of both permanent and temporary installations.

The Committee on Facilities and Campus Planning shall have a standing Subcommittee on Real Estate and Development.

The Committee on Facilities and Campus Planning shall have a standing Subcommittee on Sustainability and Resiliency.

The Subcommittee shall be charged with providing oversight and advice regarding the University’s Sustainability Strategic Plan and resiliency initiatives. The Subcommittee shall support the University’s recognition that building a more sustainable and resilient future for the planet is the pivotal challenge of the 21st century and Brown’s commitments to leading by example in both addressing the University’s impact on the environment and also galvanizing education, research and community engagement focused on confronting sustainability issues and building resiliency.

The Committee on Investment shall have responsibility for the investment management of the funds and securities of the University.

The Committee on Medical and Health Affairs shall keep itself fully and currently informed concerning the academic and financial affairs and performance of the Warren Alpert Medical School and the School of Public Health. The Committee has oversight responsibility on behalf of the Corporation for matters pertaining to the faculty and the programs of teaching, research and patient care pursued in the Medical School and the School of Public Health. The Committee shall be especially aware and supportive of collaborations and partnerships between the Medical School and the School of Public Health in light of the increasingly interconnected fields of medicine and public health and strategic opportunities for the University to exercise national and international leadership in these arenas. It shall advise the President and the Corporation as appropriate on academic and fiscal matters, priorities, policy and strategic directions pertaining to medical and public health education and research. The Committee may designate such subcommittees as it deems necessary to address these issues.

The Committee on Risk and Audit has oversight responsibility for monitoring: the University’s process for identifying, assessing, managing and reporting key risks; the compliance by the University with legal and regulatory requirements and the policies of the Corporation; the adequacy of the University's systems of internal controls; the integrity of Brown University’s external financial reporting; the quality, security and integrity of the University’s information and technology; and the independence and performance of the University's internal and external auditors.

The Committee shall advise the President on matters of University interest and exercise the powers of the minor quorum as provided in the Charter. It may transact any business of the Corporation except the location of buildings and the election of Trustees, Fellows, and the President. In addition to the powers of the minor quorum, the Committee, by action of the Corporation, is authorized to appoint professors.

The Committee on Governance and Nominating shall periodically review the operations and procedures of the Corporation and make suggestions for improving the governance of the Corporation. The Committee shall assess and review the individual and collective effectiveness of the Corporation, and report recommendations as necessary to the Corporation. The Committee shall advise and make recommendations to the Corporation regarding the selection of Officers and the membership of the standing committees, including Chairs and Vice Chairs.

The Committee on Senior Administration shall be charged with consultation with the President, whether on its own initiative or on that of the President, with respect to any matters bearing upon the official or academic duties and activities of the President and other members of the senior administration, upon their relations with the University body, and upon their personal welfare. The Committee shall have no power to control the action of the President in any matter whatsoever, but it may make such reports or suggestions to the Corporation, or such suggestions to the President, as it shall judge to be useful and in the best interests of the University.

The Committee on Trustee Vacancies shall advise the Corporation on the nomination of candidates for the Board of Trustees.