Brown University, a member of the elite Ivy League, is located in Providence, Rhode Island. It is one of the oldest American universities - the third oldest in New England and the seventh in the United States. However, he is famous not only for his venerable age, but also for the fact that he has always been one of the most advanced educational institutions in America, a kind of pioneer.
So, he was the first to start accepting representatives of all religions to study, the first from the Ivy League universities to train engineers with bachelor's degrees, specialists in computer technology, media, cinematography and film criticism (at the Faculty of Contemporary Culture and Media). Finally, the current 18th president of the university (since 2001) Ruth Simmons is the first African-American head of the university in the Ivy League and the second woman to hold such a position.
But above all, Brown University is known for its unusual curriculum, the so-called New Program, which started in 1969. According to her, the student has the right to freely choose subjects (there are no compulsory disciplines at all) and for any of them receive a credit or a failure instead of an assessment, if he likes it that way. In addition, the university is the only higher education institution in the United States, where there are departments of Egyptology and the history of mathematics.
The university was conceived as a sort of Baptist response to Congregational Yale and Harvard, Presbyterian Princeton, and Anglican Pen and Columbia. In 1763, the Baptist Churches Association of Philadelphia sent Pastor James Manning to Rhode Island with the task of establishing a Baptist College there. However, when he arrived at the site, it turned out that the Rhode Island Congregationalists, led by James Styles, had already petitioned the authorities to establish a similar educational institution. They had to negotiate, the Baptists and Congregationalists came to an agreement, as a result of which a royal charter was received on March 3, 1764, allowing both religious communities on an equal footing to create Rhode Island College in the city of Warren.
According to the charter, the task of the new educational institution was to prepare students for "work in the public arena" by teaching them "languages, liberal arts and sciences." The college management interpreted this formulation in such a way that the educational institution should not have a law school and a commerce department (law school and business school). Indeed, Brown University is still one of two Ivy League universities (along with Princeton), where there are no such faculties.
The parity agreement between Baptists and Congregationalists initially predetermined the multi-denominational composition of the college's governing structures. According to the charter, the 36-member board of trustees envisioned the following contingent: 22 Baptists, five Quakers, four Congregationalists, and five Anglicans. In the administration of 20 people, eight, including the president, were supposed to be Baptists, and the rest had the right to "belong to any religious denomination or not to belong to any of them at all."
It was solemnly proclaimed that "in this free and universalist institution, there should never be any restrictions on religious grounds, but on the contrary, everyone should have complete and absolute freedom of conscience." On the basis of the principles enunciated in 1636 by the founder of the Colony of Rhode Island, Roger Williams, students of all faiths were welcomed to enter the college. This is an extremely liberal establishment for the time. And later, although due to the peculiarities of the founding of the university there remained some predominance of Baptists, "Brown" has always been distinguished by the broadest religious and intellectual freedom.
James Manning was elected the first president of the college, and in 1765 Rhode Island College moved from Warren to its current seat of Providence. In 1770, the main university building was built, since 1823 it has been called the University Hall. Representatives of the very wealthy Brown family - Nicholas, John, Joseph and Moses - played a significant role in financing the college's relocation and all its further activities. In addition, Joseph Brown served as professor of physics at the college, and John Brown served as university treasurer from 1775 to 1796. But the university owes its current name to its graduate, John's nephew, Nicholas Brown. In 1804, he made an extremely generous donation to the college, and in his honor, Rhode Island College was renamed Brown University.
It was the Brown family who organized the first medical courses at the university in 1811, and in 1827 President Francis Wayland founded the faculty of medicine. Wayland also developed the principles that, a century later, formed the basis of the New Program. Back in 1850, he wrote: "The educational process should be organized in such a way that the student has the opportunity to learn what he has chosen, everything that he has chosen, and nothing but what he has chosen."
They tried to follow these principles at Brown University, especially after the one-year department that graduated masters was created at the university (1850). True, in 1857 the department was abolished, and the issuance of master's degrees was resumed in "Brown" only in 1887, and on a new basis. Special curricula were developed that made it possible to prepare both masters and holders of a doctor's degree. The first master's degrees, obtained under the new rules, were awarded to students in 1888, and the first Ph.D. graduated from the university in 1889. In 1891, Brown University began accepting women. For this purpose, a special female college was created - Pembroke College. In 1971, he merged with the university's The College, and the training at Brown became joint.
In the twentieth century, the authority of Brown University increased even more due to the quality of education received there, both in the humanities and in the natural sciences. Famous scientists such as Norbert Wiener worked at this university. Many outstanding scientific discoveries have been made in its laboratories and research centers, in particular in the field of electronics and computer technology.
In 1969, after a year of work by a special independent research group led by Ira Magaziner and Elliot Maxwell, a draft of the New Curriculum appeared, where the principles of teaching formulated by President Wayland were already comprehended at a new, modern level. The new program was approved by the university administration. It was based on the thesis that "a person receiving education should be at the center of the learning process." The authors of the program developed special training courses that determined the ratio of the taught disciplines for undergraduate students and interdisciplinary courses for the master's department. They are based on the student's freedom of choice. In addition, a simplified system of assessing students' knowledge was introduced - pass or fail.
In subsequent years, the "Brownian" system caused a lot of discussion, in the university itself there were voices demanding its abolition and return to traditional teaching methods, but the New Curriculum survived. And now in "Brown" work on improving the education system, introducing new elements into it, for example, the so-called seminars for newcomers (freshmen), does not stop. In accordance with the Plan for Academic Enrichment program, the number of electives is also increasing.
The peculiarities of studying at Brown University are very attractive for applicants, therefore the competition there is extremely high: only 14.6% of the total number of applicants are admitted to the university. Now students from all 50 American states, as well as from 65 countries of the world study at the educational institution.
The university consists of three main academic departments: a college for students wishing to pursue a bachelor's degree, a graduate school for applicants for master's and PhD degrees, and a medical department for those wishing to have a doctorate in medicine. Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degrees are awarded in more than 100 majors, in which over 2,000 specialty courses are taught annually. The most popular major specialties are biology, history and international relations.
Brown University does not lack private donations, especially from former students, even those who failed to graduate, such as Ted Turner (he was kicked out for immoral behavior). In 2004, the whole world went around the message about the distillery billionaire Sydney Frank, who donated $ 100 million to his native alma mater - the largest amount given to the university in its entire history. Although Frank studied at Brown for only a year, and then dropped out.
Parents of students are also generous in donations: in 2004, the amount donated by them to the needs of the university was the largest in the Ivy League and the second among all such donations to higher educational institutions in the United States (only the parents of Duke University students gave more).
All this allows Brown himself to be generous enough: the university annually allocates $ 70 million for various loans, grants, scholarships, grants and so on. More than half of university students receive some kind of financial assistance.
Brown University is one of the ten most prestigious private universities. Founded in 1764 in Providence, the capital of Rhode Island. It is a member of the Ivy League, an organization that unites the oldest elite educational institutions in the country. The university became the first in the northeastern United States to abolish religious segregation.
Spirit of freedom
Studying in the United States is very popular with foreign students. This is due not only to the highest level of teaching staff and a rich material and technical base, but also to the special atmosphere inherent in the leading universities in the United States.
In this series, Brown University stands out, whose training system was created in the 1960s on the wave of hippies. The institution is distinguished by a peculiar teaching program, when students do not have compulsory subjects. They are free to study whatever disciplines they see fit. On request, credits are given instead of marks.
Historical reference
The founding of Brown University dates back to 1761, when three Newport residents approached the Colony's General Assembly with a proposal to "open a literary institution or school to instruct young gentlemen in languages, mathematics, geography and history."
The Assembly decided to establish the Colonial College in Warren. Pastor James Manning was sworn in as its first president in 1765 and later taught in his ward. Five years later, the school moved to a suburb of Providence.
In 1803, the administration promised to name the college after the first person to donate $ 5,000 or more. It turned out to be the merchant Nicholas Brown. The promise was kept, and since then the institution is called Brown University.
Unique education system
In the 60s of the last century, under the influence of the hippie subculture in the United States, a new movement of students and progressive teachers developed who wanted to "teach students to think, and not just teach facts."
Several American universities supported the initiative at the time. One of them was Brownowski, where in 1966 the First Independent Research Group (GISP) was formed, in which 80 students and 15 professors took part.
As a result of the work of the GISP (and after a series of student demonstrations in support of them), University President Ray Heffner in 1969 supported the reform of the curriculum. Its essence is as follows:
- Conducting special courses "Thoughts" for freshmen.
- Implementation of interdisciplinary courses.
- Refusal from compulsory study of general education subjects.
- Changing the system for assessing the level of knowledge. Instead of points, if desired, the values "satisfactory" or "no grade" can be assigned. At the same time, subjects that did not receive a satisfactory grade are not displayed in the final certificate (its analogue).
In the future, the special course "Thoughts" was canceled, but other elements of the reform are still relevant. In 2006, an attempt was made to switch to the traditional letter (point) grading system. However, the idea was rejected by the Academic Council after a survey of alumni, faculty and students.
Education
Within the walls of the educational institution, specialists are trained in more than one hundred bachelor's programs. Among them are such rare disciplines as: anthropology, archeology, biophysics, geobiology, Egyptology, biomedicine, cognitive neurobiology, urbanology, the study of Sanskrit, marine biology, sex and society, semiotics, chemical physics, ethnology and others.
International programs are organized through the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. The university has academic links with the Marine Biological Laboratory and the State's School of Design. Together with the latter, the Brown / RISD dual degree program is being implemented, within which, after a five-year course of study, graduates are awarded degrees from both institutions.
University structure
In general, the university includes three main departments:
- Bachelor's degree.
- Postgraduate studies.
- Medical department.
The university includes:
- College.
- Graduate School.
- Alpert Medical School.
- Engineering school.
- School of Public Health.
- Research School.
In addition, institutes, laboratories, research centers, museums, the Women's College, sports teams, sections, clubs, communities and other structures operate within the educational institution.
Campus
Anyone who is interested in studying in the United States knows that student townships - campuses - have been built in this country for large universities. These are educational centers where applicants study, spend the night and spend their leisure time on a compact territory. Many educators, research center workers and technical staff also live here. Brown university is no exception (this is how the name of the institution is written in English).
The College Hill campus was formed in the 18th and 19th centuries on the Jewelry District hills overlooking Providence. It is surrounded by residential buildings from the same era, so the buildings of the university are combined with the architectural structure of the city. You can distinguish the main campus from neighboring houses by the old brick fence that encloses the territory of the educational institution. The main campus consists of 235 buildings spread over 143 acres (0.58 km 2).
Architecture
Traditionally, the most important element of a private university in Providence is the central gate - Van Wickle Gates. They are used in a symbolic initiation ceremony for freshmen and graduates. The main gate was built in 1901 at the initiative of the philanthropist (and former student) Augustus Stath Van Wyckl. They are made of wrought iron and are bordered by brick and stone columns. They are opened for processions and on special occasions. On the sides there are smaller gates, which are used for everyday movement.
Perhaps the most beautiful building is Robinson Hall, a library built in 1875-1878 by Walker and Gould. The octagonal openwork structure of red brick is made in the Venetian Gothic style. The library fund of many thousands is located in five buildings, of which the John Hay Library is also worth noting. It opened in November 1910 and was the main one until 1964. The rarest and most valuable manuscripts associated with the development of the New World are kept in the John Library, the central entrance of which is made in the Bo-Art style and resembles the Arc de Triomphe.
The most prominent building on the campus is the Tower of Carrie. Built in 1904 in an English interpretation of the Baroque style, it is a monument to Caroline Brown, granddaughter of Nicholas Brown.
The oldest building of Brown University is the University Hall. He accepted his first students in 1770. Until 1832, it housed living rooms, auditoriums, a reading room, a chapel, a library and a dining room. Currently, the University Hall is the administrative center, including the offices of the President, College Dean and Chancellery.
Achievements
Brown American University professors and alumni include eight Nobel Prize winners, five National Humanities Medalists, and ten National Science Medal Winners. Eight students later became billionaires.
Also among the outstanding graduates:
- Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
- Four US Secretaries of State.
- 54 members of the United States Congress.
- 55 Fellows of the Rhodes Prize, which gives the right to study free of charge at Oxford in any specialty for a master's or graduate school.
- 52 Fellows of the Gates Cambridge Prize (similar to the previous scholarship, but training is conducted in Cambridge).
- 49 holders of the Marshal Scholarship, which allows you to study for free at any university in the UK.
- 19 Pulitzer Prize winners.
- 14 winners of the "Grant for Geniuses" ($ 500,000). It is received by people of exceptional ability.
- Members of royal families, as well as leaders and founders of large companies.
According to various rankings, Brown University ranks high in the table of rankings among American universities. For example, in 2012, MFA magazine ranked it 1st among Ivy League institutions and 4th nationwide. In 2014, Forbes ranked the university in seventh position in the category "America's Most Entrepreneurial Universities." In the Academic Ranking of World Universities for 2017, the institution entered the TOP-60.
Brown University is a research university that is a member of the elite Ivy League and one of the oldest national universities. Opened in 1764 before independence from the British Empire, making it the third oldest higher education institution in New England and the seventh oldest university in the United States. It was the first university in the country to admit students regardless of their religion. Offers over 2000 courses for bachelor's, master's, doctoral programs, etc.
Brown University is known for its unusual curriculum, the so-called. A new program launched in 1969. Under this program, students have a full range of subjects (no compulsory subjects) and can receive pass / fail instead of a grade in any subject if they like.
To date, there are over 300 registered communities and student organizations.
It has its own library, which contains over 300,000 volumes of books, magazines and printed publications.
View of the university.
Location and transportation.
The university is located in Providence, Rhode Island. It is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island, USA. Providence is the economic, cultural and political center of Rhode Island. Population - 178,042 people in 2010. Largest employers:
Rhode Island Hospital
Brown University
United States Postal Service
Rhode Island Women's and Children's Hospital
Bank of America
Verizon Communications (telephone company).
The closest passenger airport to Providence with regular services is Logan Airport, located near Boston.
More than 20 trains stop daily at Providence Rail Station, serving Boston, New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Baltimore.
Interstate I-95, connecting Florida to New England, runs through the city.
The university is ranked 15th according to the U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 US rankings.
51st place among world universities in The Times Higher Education ranking for 2012.
42nd place among world universities according to the QS World University Rankings in 2012.
Number of students.
8,540 students.
Accommodations.
The University provides accommodation for studying students. Each freshman lives in the company of 40-60 of the same first-year students, to create a cozy environment for life and learning. The entire hostel complex includes 49 buildings. Each student is provided with a bed, mattress, pillow, table and chair, chest of drawers, trash can, bookcase. You can also connect wireless Internet.
The cost of living for the academic year is $ 12,208, including meals and fees.
List of awards and achievements.
The university accepts only 8.9% of students for undergraduate programs, making it a listed institution in the world.
Many famous projects were created within the walls of this university - FRESS, BRUIN, hypertext editing system and much more.
The University can be proud of its graduates, among whom are Charles Evans Hughes, Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court and Secretary of State, Horace Mann, Father of the American School of Public Education, John Hay, Secretary of State, John Milton Thayer, Governor of Wyoming and Nebraska, James Burrill Angell, President of the University of Michigan, Brad Silverberg, Microsoft Windows Project Manager, Emma Watson, Harry Potter Star and many others.
Stasya Chizhikova, 21 years old
Where, what have you been studying, how long ago?
After graduating from United World College in Italy in 2008, I entered Brown University. I deliberately chose this university: firstly, Brown is in the Ivy League (some of the best universities in the United States), and secondly, he is known for his liberality. This gives me the opportunity to pursue my diverse interests in economics and art history, as well as in French and Italian. The more I study at Brown, the more I appreciate its uniqueness, flexible curriculum and focus on student interests.
Did you study at a Russian university? What are the memories?
Now I am simultaneously studying at the Donetsk National University in Ukraine with a degree in International Economics. Received a bachelor's degree and next year I plan to become a master. My Ukrainian education is an important complement to my Western one. The university system in Ukraine is built on a different principle - students study twice as many subjects as in Brown, and the program is focused on memorizing a large amount of information and, to a lesser extent, on developing critical thinking. Unfortunately, all this does not contribute to the deep mastering of academic disciplines. With the exception of English and French, my Western education did little to help me in my sessions at home. The curricula are different and do not overlap.
[Brown University] (http://www.brown.edu/) is known for its unusual curriculum. Students have no compulsory subjects and can get credit and fail instead of a grade in any subject they like. It is the only university in the United States where Egyptology and the history of mathematics are taught.
Where do you live now?
I live in Providence, the capital of the smallest US state - Rhode Island, forty minutes from Boston. My dorm is on the student campus. There is a convenient infrastructure, a library is open at any time of the day and free wi-fi throughout the territory. Students in their pajamas are often the first visitors to morning cafes. Everything here is saturated with the atmosphere of the cult of knowledge. During the rather long summer and winter holidays, I usually go home to Donetsk to take an exam at a local university, to see my parents and friends.
What bonuses does student status give?
There are many advantages. For example, at our university informal lectures are held almost every day, the so-called talks of various scientists, artists, politicians. Moreover, I have the opportunity to study on exchange in universities around the world. So, in my second year, I studied at London University College for six months.
What are you working on now?
She began her practice in the marketing project Trendwatching Ukraine. I am waiting for the results of the EBCL exams. I am preparing for the GMAT exams for admission to graduate school over time and I am engaged in communications - I get acquainted with companies where it would be potentially interesting to intern or work.
How is it going?
I am happy with success, I study for a high score. During her studies, she gained practical experience of working in various companies. Since I am also interested in doing community work, during the school year I volunteered for the microfinance company The Capital Good Fund. This is a valuable experience - I help small businesses stay afloat and develop in a difficult post-crisis time. I also enjoy helping the local RISD art museum.
What's the coolest professor you have?
Professor [Barrett Heseltine] (http://www.engin.brown.edu/people/Faculty/facultypage.php?id=1106970190) deals with technology planning in third world countries, engineering management, technology in the humanities. The students made the professor funny [site] (http://www.barretthazeltine.com/).
A lot of them. You can name, for example, Sergei Khrushchev, the son of Nikita Khrushchev, and Romano Prodi. But the coolest we have is Barrett Heseltine. Despite the fact that he is over 70 years old, more than 400 students come to his lectures every semester. His lecture course "Management Decision Making" has become a cult classic. It is curious that he does not work for money - he has a salary of $ 1 a month. Heseltine has an interesting teaching style: he constantly maintains a dialogue with the audience, tells business cases from life, jokes, shakes hands with students.
What does the learning process look like? Describe your typical school day.
I get up at 6 in the morning, run to the fitness room, then go to lectures or to the library. After lunch I work at a microfinance company or a museum. In the evening I try to attend interesting lectures or meet friends.
What is the most important knowledge or skill that you received in the learning process?
I learned time management - I value time, I work in any conditions, including stressful ones, I try to find a balance between study, work and social life. During my studies, I realized that it is not enough to study well - so you can forget about communication.
Is it expensive to live and study?
Upon admission, she received a full university scholarship, which pays for tuition, accommodation and the cost of teaching materials. So I am proud that my education is not a financial burden on my parents. In general, studying at Brown is one of the most expensive in the world.
Planning to come back?
For now, I strive to successfully complete my studies and acquire as many skills and abilities as possible. It would be potentially interesting to return with an MBA with significant US experience.
Where will you work when you graduate?
I would like to gain international practical experience in large companies in the USA or Europe, and later - an MBA. In the future, I plan to work where my knowledge and experience will be in demand, and most importantly, where there will be interesting work and where I can constantly develop.
