Strengthening Community Amid Conflict
Campus Life fosters belonging, connection and understanding to help our community build skills to manage conflict.
Strengthening Community Amid Conflict
Campus Life fosters belonging, connection and understanding to help our community build skills to manage conflict.
Strengthening Our CommunityDear Students, Families, Faculty and Staff, Brown University is enriched and strengthened by a diverse campus of individuals who bring varied backgrounds, beliefs and perspectives to our learning community. During times of national and global conflict that affect those who live, work, and study at Brown, the bedrock of our education and research mission is to build an understanding of both our shared values and our differences. In the Division of Campus Life, we partner with colleagues across the University to help our community develop skills for engaging in challenging dialogue and gaining an understanding of contrasting views and often deeply held beliefs. We embrace this responsibility as part of our charge to sustain a compassionate community that strives to advance knowledge. We encourage you to explore our approach to strengthening our community amid conflict and invite your active participation. In partnership, Interim Vice President for Campus Life |
Building Skills to Encourage Dialogue and Build Understanding
People who live and work in a connected and caring community experience better health and well-being, stronger social bonds, and more academic, professional and personal success. By fostering belonging, connection and understanding, we can prevent and counteract the negative effects of conflict.
Programming & Workshops
Every semester, students, faculty and staff can attend programs designed to build and enhance their skills for engaging in community dialogue—including active listening and giving and receiving feedback—and deepen their understanding of and engagement with complex issues.
Residence halls, identity and cultural centers, and student groups provide numerous opportunities for students to find a sense of belonging, cultivate relationships across differences and develop healthy practices.
- Skill-Building Workshops: The Community Dialogue Project offers interactive skill-building modules that foster skills that support communication and dialogue, including empathy, accountability, and respectful communication—core to sustaining a healthy, inclusive campus community. [CDP trainings]
- Restorative Justice Initiative: Facilitated by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (OSCCS), these sessions use restorative practices to acknowledge impact, promote healing, support accountability, and promote learning. [Restorative Justice Initiative]
- Center-Based Programming: Campus Life’s identity and cultural centers sponsor lectures, heritage events, and workshops that cultivate belonging, empathy, and connection—equipping students to engage across differences and contribute to a stronger, more inclusive Brown community. [Campus Life Identity and Cultural Centers]
- Reflection and Interfaith Engagement: Through reflection, dialogue, and interfaith engagement, programming from the Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life (OCRL) helps foster understanding, compassion, and connection across difference—key to nurturing a respectful and inclusive community. [OCRL programs]
- Residence Hall Programs: Area Coordinators and Community Coordinators regularly invite students to come together in the casual, familiar and informal setting of their Residence Hall to explore perspectives on topics of belonging and difference.
- Student Organization Training: The Student Activities Office (SAO) educates student groups on leadership, equity, and community standards. [Student Activities Office]
Institutional Support and Communication
- Multi-Partial Team: This team of trained staff provides facilitation and consultation for all participants before and during potentially controversial events. The MPT serves a dual purpose: acting as a thought partner for event organizers and as a resource for students or others who plan to participate in activism, protest, and demonstration. [Multi-Partial Team]
- Parent and Family Webinars: Brown engages families through regular virtual programming, including sharing resources and insights into our community standards and response mechanisms. [Parent & Family Webinars]
- Community Messages: University leaders regularly share campus-wide communications that reinforce reporting procedures, highlight educational efforts, and reaffirm institutional values, especially during times of heightened challenges.
Community Messages
Brown University leaders regularly share information, support, resources and guidance for those who live, work and study at Brown.
Providing Support During Times of Crisis
When responding to troubling events that have occurred beyond our campus, the University emphasizes providing support and resources for impacted community members. At all times, Brown provides resources to increase safety, encourage health and well-being, and create opportunities for connection and open discussion.
Responding to Discrimination and Harassment
Brown is committed to maintaining a strong educational, working and living environment at Brown, free from discrimination, harassment and retaliation.
At all times, and especially during periods of heated global or political conflict, we each have a responsibility to hold ourselves and each other accountable to our community values and to the policies and laws that govern our behavior. To lead and strengthen this work, Brown established the Office of Equity Compliance and Reporting (OECR) in 2024. OECR coordinates the University’s response to discrimination and harassment and advances education, training, and support across the Brown community. The office works in close collaboration with offices across the Division of Campus Life, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), and other campus partners.
Events
Events hosted by departments and offices across campus offer opportunities to engage with local and global issues, serving to build understanding, cultivate a caring and supportive community, and foster constructive dialogue.