John Nicholas Brown Center Master’s program ‘on hold’

Studies, in July.

BY EMILY FAULHABER UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

The John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage will transition to a center for advanced study “focused on promoting the broad public discussion and dissemination of academic research,” according to a Dec. 14 announcement and a Dec. 20 letter from Dietrich Neumann, former JNBC director and professor of history of art and architecture and Italian studies.

Neumann’s letter announced that Steven Lubar, professor of American studies and history, would serve as the center’s interim director this semester. Kevin McLaughlin, professor of English and comparative literature and former dean of the faculty, will take over as the permanent director of the center, to be renamed the John Nicholas Brown Center for Advanced

Additionally, the Master’s in Public Humanities program — which prepares students for careers in “museums, historical societies, cultural planning agencies, heritage tourism, historic preservation and community arts programs,” according to the program’s website — has been put “on hold” until the University can relocate it in another department or institute, Neumann wrote in the letter.

JNBC’s impact on public humanities

Elizabeth Francis PhD’94, executive director at the Rhode Island Council for Humanities, said the University played a key role in progressing public humanities programs nationwide.

“Brown was the first to establish a program in public humanities, material culture and preservation,” Francis said.

Although there are several other public humanities programs across the country, Francis noted that the program at Brown has played a “very beneficial” role in the community.

SEE JNBC PAGE 7 that the early stages of the pandemic required full administrative attention, preventing the Corporation from initially formalizing the extension.

“In the midst of those difficult challenges for our entire community, the postponed extension was seen as somewhat procedural, considering that leadership continuity and ensuring the well-being of the community were the main priorities,” he wrote.

“But as we have continued discus-

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Current menstrual product availability map added to BrownU

app

BY KATHY WANG UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

The Undergraduate Council of Students and the Graduate Student Council have worked with Facilities Management to submit a one-time funding request through the University’s annual budget process to ensure women’s and gender neutral campus bathrooms have free menstrual products, according to Michael Guglielmo Jr., vice president of Facilities Management.

“If approved, funds would be used to install dispensers in … women’s restrooms and to cover the annual cost to stock products for all locations,” he wrote in an email to The Herald.

Guglielmo added that Fiscal Year 2024 department budget requests were submitted in February and will be reviewed in March and April. After being presented to the University Resources Committee, the requests will face final approval by the Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — in May, and be communicated back