Dear Brown Community, 

I am writing to share another step in Brown’s commitment to community healing following the December 13, 2025, act of violence that took the lives of two Brown students and profoundly affected our community.

On August 1, at the direction of President Paxson, Campus Life will launch the Office of Student Recovery and Care (OSCR). This new office, housed within the Office of the Vice President for Campus Life, is dedicated to supporting students who have self-identified as being the most directly affected by the events of December 13. This includes students who were injured, were present in Barus and Holley Room 166, were in the immediate vicinity, or had close relationships with students who were injured or killed. The office will provide this defined group of students with a consistent point of contact for individualized coordination across academic, health, financial, residential and other University resources. 

The Office of Student Recovery and Care is part of Brown’s broader Ever True Roadmap to Recovery, which will continue to guide institutional recovery and community-wide efforts for the full campus. The creation of OSCR is informed by public health principles of community resilience and targeted support, and reflects practices used by peer institutions following mass shootings. The office is expected to remain active through the 2028–29 academic year, with its scope and staffing reviewed as student needs evolve. It will be located at 20 Benevolent Street. 

The work of OSCR continues and builds on the sustained care and coordination provided to students since December 13 by colleagues across the Integrated Student Support and Recovery Team, Student Support Services and other University offices. We are deeply grateful to the staff and faculty whose compassion, judgment and collaboration have carried this work forward.

OSCR will be led by Brian Woods, M.Ed., in the role of associate dean and director, and by Madyson Crawford as assistant dean. Dean Woods has served as an interim associate dean in Student Support Services since March. Dean Crawford currently serves as an assistant director at the Sarah Doyle Center for Women and Gender and brings experience in student engagement, education, relationship-building and helping individuals identify resources and support that meet their needs. You may contact OSRC directly at studentcare@brown.edu and visit the OSRC webpage. 

OSCR has a focused purpose and does not replace the broader services available to Brown students. All students will continue to have access to Student Support Services and other academic, health and well-being resources across the University. Please reach out if you or someone you know needs support. You may also visit the Campus Life Seek Support webpage for more information.

We remain committed to caring for students with empathy, consistency and shared responsibility as our community continues to heal and move forward together.

Sincerely,

Patricia Poitevien, MD, MSc, FAAP
Vice President for Campus Life