AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Brown University in the United States has announced that more than 11 percent of students who identify as Muslim, Black, or multiracial have faced harassment or discrimination during their studies.
Matthew Guterl, Brown’s Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, released the preliminary findings of the “2025–2026 Campus Climate Survey,” saying the research was conducted by an independent contractor under the framework of the university’s agreement with the federal government. According to him, the figure rises to more than 15 percent among graduate and medical students who are Black, Hispanic, multiracial, or Muslim.
The report says many of these groups are less confident than other students that the university takes complaints of discrimination against them seriously. Only 37 percent of Muslim undergraduates said the university responds appropriately to Islamophobia, compared with 65 percent among the overall undergraduate population. It also found that just 48 percent of Muslim students said they feel comfortable reporting cases of Islamophobia.
In response to the findings, Brown University said it will expand mandatory anti-discrimination training, as well as education on harassment and discrimination on social media. At the same time, a significant number of students still report a sense of belonging, with 85 percent of undergraduates and 76 percent of graduate students saying they are satisfied with their choice to attend Brown.
University officials said further steps will follow after additional meetings and a final analysis of the data, and that a similar survey for faculty and staff is scheduled to be conducted in the fall of 2026.
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