Brown University in Providence expects to reopen the Barus and Holley classrooms closed after the Dec. 13, 2025, shooting in summer 2027, following Commencement.
Russell C. Carey, the university's executive vice president for planning and policy, announced the timetable in an Oct. 27 campus notice. The rooms are expected to be available for summer courses and Pre-College programs, followed by the 2027-28 academic year.
In a May 7 message, President Christina H. Paxson had described a goal of making the rooms available in the middle of the 2026-27 academic year. Brown nevertheless scheduled classes on the assumption that they would remain unavailable.
Carey said the revised schedule reflects the difficulty of renovating older spaces within a working teaching and research building. He said Brown was prioritizing spending on the classrooms over night and weekend work to meet an arbitrary date. He also cited discussions of the Committee on the December 13 Memorial about taking time and care with the return to the rooms.
A different space when classes return
Plans include small alcoves of social space, more natural light, and new furniture and technology. Carey said input from faculty who teach in the rooms and students who have taken classes there informed the choice of furniture and technology.
Brown will provide support when the classrooms return to use, including during the summer and fall terms, Carey said. His notice does not identify a specific opening day, a construction budget or the full support arrangements.
The university's May message described differing views about returning: preliminary results from a campus safety survey of people who had worked or taken classes in Barus and Holley showed a majority of faculty and staff were comfortable using the building, while students expressed greater concern.
Courses and final exams for both semesters of the current academic year have been planned without the closed rooms, according to Carey's update.