Inclusion and Equity Amid the COVID-19 Crisis

The Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity is committed to maintaining an inclusive environment for the entire Brown community during this difficult time. We will be working with our partners across campus to ensure we continue our collective work of promoting diversity and equity - now primarily through virtual interactions.

We must actively seek to promote empathy and understanding to reduce stigma associated with the current coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes on its COVID-19 webpage that fear and anxiety about a disease can lead to stigma that results in the mistreatment of individuals. One of the best ways to address stigma is to remain informed about the facts related to the pandemic by visiting the CDC webpage and Brown’s COVID-19 website.  

As we continue to manage most operations remotely, including the moving of Spring 2020 courses to remote instruction, we are writing to remind the Brown community of the following:

1. We call on all staff, faculty and students to promote an atmosphere of respect and facilitate a sense of belonging in all interactions, whether virtual or in person. Acts of hate and unlawful discrimination or harassment have no place in our community.

2. If you believe you have experienced bias, or unlawful discrimination or harassment at Brown (on campus or virtually), there are several resources in place to support you. Visit the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity Incident Reporting page for information on resources and the process to report a bias incident or how to file a complaint of unlawful discrimination or harassment. You can also report bias to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) by calling 401-863-3322. Additional information about reporting bias or a hate crime is also available on the DPS webpage.

Please review the Brown Statement on Bias and Hate and the statement on civil rights during COVID-19 issued by the Rhode Island Attorney General. For general questions about diversity, equity and inclusion at Brown, please contact us at [email protected]