Brown University Reviews

Pros

It is a very supportive community with lots of people in senior positions who are happy to help you out if you need it.

Cons

It is an academic institution, so there are some things that are set in stone, that won't change, which is ok.

Advice to Senior Management

I think they do a good job at offering opportunities for students to work and earn a good amount of money.

Pros

collegial, cheap area to live

Cons

exploitative of non-tenure track hires

Pros

freedom in teaching, nice and smart students at Brown are the plus points. In addition, the policy is good and the name really matters

Cons

Not as competitive as it should be. More than half of students in most classes got As, making the teaching harder.

Pros

I have learned a lot in my job as a research assistant, besides the employer shows highly respect to employers. You will receive recognition and praise when you do a good job, also the employer shows full support when you need to take time off when it is necessary. Moreover, the employer support in balancing your personal life and work life.

Cons

The senior manager is very competent, however, most of the time he will train you to do your job instead of telling you the answer right away.

Advice to Senior Management

It is a good place in general, people support you when you are in need. As for leadership, it is also great in general.

Pros

- It's prestigious (an Ivy league school)
- Benefits are fantastic
- The location is great for anyone who enjoys restaurants and fun.

Cons

- IT Offices are cramped and colorless
- Many employees are underpaid compared to their peers in the industry.
- You're expected to not speak up about problems so that people don't look bad.
- Most people have had so many additional responsibilities thrust on them that they're miserable to work with.
- Most people are not accountable and will do everything they possibly can from raising their hand in a meeting to take ownership of a given task for fear of being blamed when something goes wrong.

Advice to Senior Management

- Encourage mistakes
- Get some real offices
- Transform the culture

Pros

Ivy League recognition on the resume and Providence is awesome town.

Cons

Slow internal system, everything requiring paperworks takes way too long. Things need to get streamlined

Advice to Senior Management

see cons

Pros

Brown University is a place of much professional and intellectual diversity, offering a range of options through which to combine personal development and growth in abilities and in a vision of what you hope to accomplish in work and in life.

Cons

Limited opportunity for promotion given the university structure and occasional emphasis on student-centricity rather than worker-improvement and respect for needs of staff.

Advice to Senior Management

Leadership is superb, with a vision focused on the future of the institution, supporting Providence and cultivating a new sort of leadership.

Pros

I could change my office hours as necessary. Obviously being a TA is more convenient than finding a job off-campus. Sometimes no one shows up for office hours so you get paid to do your homework.

Cons

Most of the kids were ungrateful and were coming to office hours not because they couldn't understand the material but because they hadn't gone to class or read the book. Or because they wanted to know what grade they were getting.

Advice to Senior Management

TAs need better guidelines for grading. Also, would be nice if the professors showed a little more enthusiasm for their own classes.

Pros

freedom of research, friendly environment

Cons

hard to publish papers in top journals, due to the research impact of the entire school

Pros

Innovative research environment that is very open. I always felt I could just meet with any professor and discuss a project and my ideas were met with enthusiasm.

Cons

The balance between work and family life can be difficult. It requires some understanding by both the family and the laboratory.

Advice to Senior Management

I think the management does an excellent job for the students within the program, although the students are very much on their own as they leave.