In the 2023-24 Academic Year, Brown launched a series of concrete actions to enhance efforts to create an environment for our students, staff and faculty that is free of discrimination and harassment, and to ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws related to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (the statute that prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color and national origin, including shared ancestry and ethnic characteristics, by entities that receive federal funding). 

These changes came as Brown and campuses across the country experienced a rise in reported incidents of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian and anti-Israeli discrimination, and built upon existing efforts to confront all forms of racism and discrimination. 

These actions have further strengthened the University’s policies, systems and operations, which aim to maintain a strong educational, working and living environment free of harassment and discrimination.

Through enhanced programming and initiatives, we have:

• Reorganized compliance functions to streamline and clarify processes for addressing unacceptable behavior under our policies. The University created the Office of Equity Compliance and Reporting to streamline reporting and support under Campus Life, while strengthening efforts promoting diversity and inclusion under the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity (OIED). 
• Provided greater clarity regarding processes for reporting and investigating discrimination and harassment, with links to detailed information on the law and Brown policies.
• Enhanced and clarified processes for resolving complaints under Brown’s Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy, including an improved summary of the resolution process. 
• Improved and consolidated incident forms for reporting bias, harassment or discrimination. 
• Ensured easier access to staff and support resources for individuals experiencing harassment and discrimination. 
• Expanded efforts to promote Brown’s bias reporting system and Anonymous Reporting Hotline to all members of the Brown campus community as important resources for reporting violations of bias, discrimination or harassment.
• Clarified the roles of Campus Life, OIED, University Human Resources and other partnering offices in responding to discrimination and harassment complaints

Campus Life is developing training for all students, faculty and staff on nondiscrimination and harassment principles, including harassment based on shared ancestry. This includes expanded training specifically for Title VI investigations, reflecting evolving federal guidance, and training for campus groups or organizations with whom community members may share discrimination or harassment concerns. These efforts will be the outcome of planning for content, modality and phased roll-out, tailored to various constituencies.