Dear Graduate Students:

We are writing to follow up on the exciting news shared earlier today about the University's purchase of the River House apartment complex in the Jewelry District, which will provide 270 beds dedicated to Brown’s graduate and medical students. The expansion of our graduate housing portfolio responds directly to the needs that we have heard from the graduate student community for housing that is close to campus and with access to the Brown shuttle; safe and secure with a reliable manager; offers high-quality apartment living; and has amenities, such as furnished units, on-site fitness facilities and secure bike storage. And while the complex has been marketed under its private ownership as a luxury property, we are beginning a process to align the building’s rate structure with the needs of graduate students.

This purchase responds to a long-standing need for additional housing expressed through the advocacy of graduate students and reflects a commitment to graduate education. It also promises to significantly enhance the housing that the University is able to offer, substantially expanding both the quality and quantity of housing available to graduate students and adding to the 80 beds currently available through Auxiliary Housing. We expect that these fully furnished apartments will ease the transition to Providence for new students in particular. We are also excited for the potential long-term opportunities this property presents — the addition of River House will provide graduate students additional opportunities to engage in a vibrant campus life and enhance their graduate experience on campus.

With the purchase of the property now finalized, a working group of University administrators, including representatives from the Graduate School and the School of Professional Studies, is working to outline a structure for rental rates and a process for prioritizing applicants. This group will also be reexamining rental rates and amenities in graduate housing within the Auxiliary Housing office. We look forward to engaging the Graduate Student Council in a discussion to bring student perspective to those plans.

We know that students may have questions and the process of fully transitioning River House into student housing underway now will help to answer many of those. We will continue to provide updates to the community as River House is integrated into the University’s portfolio of housing for graduate students.

Sincerely,

Andrew G. Campbell
Dean of the Graduate School

Leah VanWey
Dean of the School of Professional Studies