Brown University President Christina Paxson announced on August 3 that she will step down at the end of the 2026-27 academic year, citing a challenging tenure marked by federal funding disputes and campus safety concerns.
Paxson’s departure follows a federal funding freeze that threatened $510 million in research grants to the Ivy League institution. In a July 2025 agreement, Brown secured the restoration of the funds after committing to a third-party evaluation of campus climate, including assessments for Jewish students. The university also agreed to propose actions to address concerns raised by the administration.
However, Paxson declined a subsequent offer in October 2025 that would have tied federal funding eligibility to policies such as capping international student enrollment, defining gender based on biology, and banning race or sex considerations in hiring and admissions. She stated that accepting the terms would have undermined academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
Paxson, who has led Brown since 2012, extended her tenure by one year to navigate the funding crisis. In her farewell letter, she noted that the federal landscape remained volatile for higher education institutions. Her resignation comes amid broader tensions between the Trump administration and elite universities over issues including antisemitism, diversity policies, and international student policies.
The administration’s scrutiny of Brown began during Trump’s second term, with officials targeting universities over student protests against Israel’s military actions in Gaza and other policies. Critics, including some Jewish groups, have argued that the administration misrepresented criticism of Israel as antisemitism, while supporters of the administration’s approach contend it was necessary to address perceived biases in academic institutions.
Brown’s agreement with the federal government required a $50 million investment over a decade into Rhode Island workforce development programs, alongside compliance with certain admissions and transgender athlete policies. The Education Department unfroze the $510 million in research funding in exchange for these concessions.
Paxson’s tenure also included responding to a mass shooting on Brown’s campus, which further strained institutional resources and leadership focus. Her decision to step down reflects both the immediate pressures of federal policy and long-standing challenges in higher education governance.