Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to update you on space planning for the School of Public Health. Since the Fall of 2020, and as stated in past communications, the school has taken a phased approach to addressing our space issues.

As a reminder, the school has approached surge space in 3 phases:

• Phase 1 (Summer 2022) COMPLETED: Identify a limited group of individuals to move to 200 Dyer, 1 Davol Square, and to fully remote status.
• Phase 2 (Winter/Spring 2023) IN PROCESS: Move an entire unit(s) to more suitable locations for faculty and student collaboration. The options continue to evolve, but we are currently considering the first floor of 155 South Main Street.
• Phase 3 (Summer 2023) IN PROCESS: Rearrange assignments within 121 South Main Street to create student-centric spaces and continuity for departments and centers.

We now have a mid-term plan for the school approved by the University that will be implemented in December 2023 over winter break that combines both Phase 2 and 3 from above. The high-level changes to the school are as follows:

• The School of Public Health will now occupy the 9th floor of 121 South Main that the Investment Office currently occupies,
• The school will also occupy the 1st floor of 155 South Main (Packet Building). While 155 is scheduled to have a complete renovation in the near future, the 1st-floor space was newly renovated by the previous tenant and will be a short-term space for some of our units.
• 1 Davol Square, which SPH units including Hassenfeld, CAAS, Survey Center, and Mindfulness currently occupy, will transition out of that space as the University is beginning plans for another academic unit.

In light of these changes in available space, we took this opportunity to be thoughtful and intentional about how we can assign space appropriately, and best move units within our allowable space. We also understand the need for flexibility and want to reiterate that this is an ongoing process taking into consideration each and every affected group. At all points of this relocation initiative, we are open to adjustments and will remain dedicated to finding the best available options for the school as a whole as well as our individual teams. With this in mind, we applied the principles we had established in our space while we worked out longer-term solutions that would be most amenable to our goals, including:

• Keep SPH centers/departments together as much as possible to facilitate collaboration, ensure staff and faculty feel supported, and have access to administrative support within their core.
• Open space for new centers, and faculty that share similar synergies, to be located in close proximity.

Based on high-level planning and coordinated discussions with the Executive Committee and the faculty leaders in the impacted units, the units affected in the move are as follows:

• The Dean’s Office will be vacating the 3rd floor and moving to the 9th floor
• The Offices of Education, Student Services, Community Engagement, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will be moving to the 3rd floor to create a student-centric space.
• BSS will occupy the 4th, 5th, and part of the 3rd floor. This means the Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity will move from the 8th to the 4th floor to be close to their department and administrative support.
• CAHPR, Pandemic Center, and IFL will move to the 8th floor.
• Hassenfeld Institute, Mindfulness Center, ATTC/ORN, SMASH labs, and the Survey Center will be closer to our community and will occupy 155 South Main—except ATTC/ORN, which will return to 121 South Main.

Over the summer and into the fall, directors and core leaders will work with each impacted unit on detailed space assignments that foster community, connectivity, and collaboration. If you have any questions, please contact your core leader or SPH-Operations@brown.edu.

We recognize that moving is challenging, but we hope all will see that this is the most effective way for us to utilize the space at the time while we continue long-term planning. Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this process.

Sincerely,

Sara Walsh
Executive Dean for Finance and Administration