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Citing the growing crowdedness of College Hill and the need for the University to increase enrollment, University President Christina Paxson’s Strategic Plan calls for expansion into Providence’s Jewelry District and The West Bank, area still disputed by Israel and Palestine.
The move across the river and to the occupied stretch of desert in the Middle East is a bold step forward for the University, said Paxson. “I’m looking forward to working more closely with Providence citizens, as well as our new Israeli and Jordanian neighbors," she said. “I think that’s everyone.”
The plan calls for the creation of a “vibrant mixed-use community” between the Providence downtown, the Brown campus, and various Middle Eastern states, including Israel and the Arab League. In addition, each expansion will focus on “adaptive reuse and optimization of existing facilities,” in one case repurposing a working Palestinian hospital into a state-of-the-art dining hall.
“We are very excited,” said Lars Roland, director of the Office of Residential Life. “We are committed to establishing the very best living conditions for our students, and consider this an exceptional opportunity for students who want that quintessential Brown experience, but in an unforgiving desert marred by war. Or closer to downtown.”
The expansion, while looked upon highly by most faculty and students, has been met with some skepticism. “I understand the importance of diversifying, but at what cost?" said Emma Jenkins ’14. "If it means Keeney goes a year without renovations or prevents the University from commissioning another big statue of a bear, is it worth it?” Others disagreed, questioning how it would even be possible for the administration ever to do something wrong.
“It’s time for Brown to fully engage with the world,” said Paxson. “I’m sure it will bring great comfort to those in conflict that some of the world’s best and brightest teenagers will be on the ground to help them get that all sorted out.”
