Brown is deeply committed to advancing students’ educational experiences and academic goals. This semester, we recognize that students’ needs may vary widely in the wake of the tragic acts of violence on Brown’s campus on Dec. 13, 2025. Neither the path nor the pace of recovery is the same for everyone, and our approach to academic support will continue to be grounded in the flexibility already embedded in Brown’s Open Curriculum.

Our strategy for academic support this semester emphasizes early advising conversations, acknowledging the spectrum of emotional responses, and promoting early intervention for students to adjust their schedules, grading options or workload, as needed. The University will continue to maintain its rigorous academic standards and expectations while strategically supporting students to access the range of resources that are available.

Among the tools that are available to students are:

• Brown’s Shopping Period (Jan. 20 – Feb. 3), which offers students an opportunity to explore courses, meet with faculty and review syllabi to assess fit and workload.
• The Satisfactory/No Credit (S/NC) grading option instead of a letter grade. The deadline to change the grading option is Feb. 18 at 5:00pm ET. The last day to drop a course is May 5 at 5:00pm ET.
• The option to take three courses in a semester, which is permitted once during a student’s first four semesters at Brown and once during semesters five to eight. There may be some limitations, and students can explore this option with an adviser or an advising dean.
• Exploring hybrid or remote-accessible courses, which students can review via Courses@Brown. If a student is considering remote study, they should reach out to their academic adviser to help develop a plan.
• Discussing a course load reduction or other adjustments with an advising dean.

Students are encouraged to reach out immediately to Academic Advising Deans and instructors with any questions, concerns or requests for support. The Dean of the College and advising offices will continue to proactively share information and resources with students through multiple channels, including email and through course materials.

The University is prioritizing the need to support students’ well-being and academic goals. The following offices can help students understand academic options, connect with advisers and seek help navigating any challenges:

• Undergraduates: Academic Deans in the College
• Graduate students: Deans of the Graduate School
• Medical students: Student Affairs at the Warren Alpert Medical School
• Professional students: Deans in the School of Professional Studies

For other types of support for general well-being and recovery, a comprehensive list of resources is available on the Brown Ever True Community Resources page. 

Additional academic support resources available to students include:

• Free, peer-led, small-group tutoring for some courses
• Study review sessions and teaching assistants for a set number of courses
• The Writing Center, which works with any Brown community member at any stage of the writing process
• The Math Resource Center with experts available during drop-in hours
• The Academic Coaching, Engagement and Support (ACcESs) program with trained peer academic coaches to assist with time-management, study strategies and other similar topics

No. The University recognizes that resuming operations in Barus & Holley is particularly sensitive. To prepare for the return of students, faculty and staff, extensive work took place in the building over Winter Break at the building. The areas of Barus & Holley where the Dec. 13 attacks took place have all been taken offline for the spring semester; the entire area is closed, inaccessible to everyone, and sealed and secured behind new walls and emergency access doors. Any classes originally assigned to those classrooms have been relocated, but their meeting times are unchanged. As a result, some other spaces on campus that have been used for other activities, including student organizations, events and rehearsals, may now be used to hold classes more frequently.

Brown maintains a commitment to security for Barus & Holley and all buildings. Members of the Brown community are required to use their Brown ID card to access all academic buildings. In general, most buildings with classrooms are accessible via card swipe between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. However, building-specific accessibility may vary beyond these hours to accommodate student organization activities, events, meetings and other programming.  

Following the tragic acts of violence on Brown’s campus on Dec. 13, 2025, students were given the option to change the grade option for any course for which they were registered from letter grade (ABC/NC) to satisfactory/no credit (S/NC). Any student who chose — between Dec. 23, 2025, and Jan. 7, 2026, the period of time provided for students to make this choice — to change their grade option to S/NC for a Fall 2025 course will have a notation on their transcript. The notation will state: “The grade option for SUBJ XXXX in Fall 2025 was changed from graded to Satisfactory/No Credit due to a shooting on the Brown University campus on December 13, 2025.”

Brown undergraduates need a minimum of 30 course credits to graduate. Since taking four courses for eight semesters yields 32 credits, each student has built-in flexibility to take three courses for one or two semesters with no special permission. However, a student can pursue a formal course load reduction through an academic dean if they need a semester with fewer than three courses or multiple semesters with fewer than four courses. This may have additional impacts on students with F-1 or J-1 visas, student athletes and students who receive financial aid. Students considering a formal course load reduction should work with an academic dean to discuss how a reduction may impact their individual circumstances.

The deadline to request a course load reduction has been extended this semester to Feb. 24. Course load reductions must be processed by this date, so students are encouraged to reach out at least several days before the deadline to ensure adequate time to process the reduction.

As students return to campus and process the events of Dec. 13, some may have reactions that are unpredictable and even unexpected for them. Brown is committed to supporting students in creating individualized pathways to graduation, with options including S/NC, course load reduction and flexibility in which courses can be dropped.

As always, students will be able to drop courses through the last day of the semester. The deadline to drop a course is May 5 at 5:00 pm ET. However, if a student forgets to drop a course and receives a No Credit (NC), that will not appear on their official transcript.

For students considering a leave of absence, the University works with each student on an individual basis to explore options, examine financial aid implications and help students determine the best path forward for them. Students should be aware of the tuition reimbursement schedule as outlined in Section 3.14 of Brown’s Student Account Financial Policy. Students considering a leave of absence should reach out to an academic dean and their adviser.

Yes. Brown offers both a Summer Session and Winter Session that can help students fulfill graduation requirements. The Summer 2026 session will run from June 15 to July 31, and students can take up to two courses. Financial aid is available for eligible students, and many classes are accessible remotely. Students can speak with an academic dean to determine the best options to help them achieve their academic goals and support their well-being.

Brown has a robust advising structure around pre-health and pre-law, including dean advising and peer advising. We recognize there are specific requirements and preferences involving course timing and letter grades from medical schools and law schools, and we have provided students with guidance on those requirements. Students are encouraged to reach out early and often to advisers so advising can be specific to their goals and the institutions they are considering.

Students may audit any course with faculty approval. An audited course appears on a student’s transcript, but students will not earn credit and are generally not expected to complete assignments and exams. Students exploring that option should check with an academic dean and the course instructor. 

Classroom assignments require a Brown University login to view and are not available to the public.

As students continue their studies and while also processing and recovering during a difficult time for many members of the Brown community, their families, friends and others can help by encouraging students to meet with their advisers and take advantage of academic options around grading and courseload.

Students can request disability-based academic accommodations for their courses by contacting Student Accessibility Services (SAS) at sas@brown.edu or 401-863-9588.