Brown University President Christina Paxson announced on Monday that she will step down from her position at the end of the 2026–27 academic year, concluding a 15-year tenure at the Ivy League, as the school increased Jewish student enrollment even as most peer institutions experienced significant drops. 

In an open letter, Paxson described her resignation as “the right decision for me and my family” and noted that she had previously extended her tenure to lead the university through its clash with the Trump administration.  

Brown experienced campus tensions over antisemitism in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel and ensuing war in Gaza, though the school avoided the severe disruptions seen at Columbia and Harvard. Last summer, Brown settled with the federal government, agreeing to pay $50 million over 10 years to restore more than $500 million in frozen federal research funds. The deal resolved investigations into campus antisemitism and mirrored similar federal actions against other elite universities. 

But under Paxson’s leadership, Jewish leaders at the Providence, R.I., school vigorously pushed back against the government’s allegations of antisemitism, arguing that Brown had upheld its commitment to religious freedom and Jewish life on campus.

In an open letter last year — signed by Rabbi Josh Bolton, executive director of Brown-RISD Hillel; Rabbi Mendel Laufer, director of Chabad of College Hill; and Brian Moynihan, Brown’s chancellor and CEO of Bank of America — campus leaders praised Paxson, pointing to her “unwavering support” for the Jewish community at Brown amid the anti-Israel encampments that roiled the campus in 2024. The statement added that Paxson attended a Chabad dinner after the Oct. 7 attacks, “underscoring her commitment to supporting Jewish students during a painful and uncertain time.” 

“As we navigate a transformative era for higher education in America, Brown’s model — open, collaborative, curiosity-driven and student-centered — is more essential than ever. It is the right time for a new Brown president who will have the distinct privilege and pleasure of leading a university that is exceptionally well positioned for impact in the years ahead,” Paxson wrote in her resignation letter. 

In a separate letter on Monday, Moynihan said Paxson “has been an inspiring, visionary, purpose-driven and amazingly steadfast and stalwart leader for Brown, and of course I asked her if she would stay longer.” 

Moynihan said Paxson had led Brown through its challenges with a “balance of commitment to academic excellence, operational excellence and a collaborative philosophy.”

He announced a national search for the next president.