Brown will resume in-person learning for the fall 2021 semester

Brown University will return to in-person learning for the upcoming fall semester.

Brown President Christina H. Paxson announced the return to in-person operations in a statement to the university community on April 6. Brown’s plan is contingent upon the expectation that the majority of the Brown community will be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of the summer, Paxson wrote. The university may adjust its plan depending on the availability of COVID-19 vaccines.

Brown plans to return to a two-semester academic calendar with standard on-campus room occupancy and class sizes, Paxson wrote. There will also be an expansion in dining and recreation options, and lab and research operations will resume normally.

Although the majority of courses will be offered in-person, faculty are asked to consider conducting online or hybrid courses for students who are unable to return to campus in the fall, Paxson wrote. 

All students who will be on campus or participating in in-person learning will be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine unless they qualify for a medical or religious exemption, Paxson wrote. The university is still determining whether employees will be required to receive the vaccine.

This school year, Brown used a three-semester academic calendar to reduce the density of students on campus. Undergraduate students were allowed to spend up to two semesters on campus. 

Brown joins other Ivy League institutions — including Harvard University, Yale University, and Penn — in planning a return to in-person learning in the fall. 

Top Penn administrators announced in a March 15 email to faculty that the University is currently planning a return to in-person learning in the fall, but details have yet to be finalized.