Information for Parents and Families

More than many other colleges and universities, Brown builds its relationships with undergraduates on the premise that students are capable adults. The open character of the Brown curriculum is designed to be responsive to a student's individual interests. For the curriculum to work, the University presumes that students will make an effort to articulate those interests to faculty advisors, deans, and administrators. Students admitted to Brown have demonstrated a high level of maturity and the ability to take initiative. These are the qualities best suited to the challenge of making important academic choices, something Brown students are called upon to do from their very first semester.

If Brown's distinctive academic philosophy predisposes University officers and faculty to interact with students as responsible adults, we also understand that parental involvement in students' education is important. University officers facilitate this involvement in students' first two years of study at Brown by writing to parents at key times and suggesting how parents might help their students take full advantage of Brown’s open learning environment.

Brown believes that parental involvement in students' education is important.