US EditionBrown University student faces disciplinary action after asking non-faculty staff what they do all day as tuition soars
- Alex Shieh, a Brown University sophomore, faces disciplinary action after emailing 3,805 non-faculty employees asking, "What do you do all day?" to investigate high tuition costs in March 2025.
- Shieh created a database categorizing jobs as DEI, redundant, or "bulls--t" to analyze bureaucratic expenses, motivated by Trump administration executive orders against DEI policies.
- Brown accused Shieh of misrepresentation and IT policy violations without specifying provisions, while Shieh maintains he did not breach any policies and is retaliated against for exposing tuition misuse.
- Only 20 of 3,805 employees responded to the email, many with profane hostility, and Elon Musk called the situation "Unreal" on April 23, 2025, amid a House Judiciary Committee investigation into Ivy League anticompetitive practices.
- Brown officials, led by VP Brian Clark, said the case is not about free speech but concerns alleged improper use of non-public data, stressing existing procedures guide their actions and students can participate fully.
14 Articles
14 Articles
GOP congressman questions Brown University’s low endowment tax, disciplinary proceedings for Bloat@Brown creator
U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-T.X. 22) expressed alarm about "administrative bloat" at Brown and questioned the University's tax-exempt status and its actions in ongoing student disciplinary proceedings in a Friday letter sent to President Christina Paxson P'19 P'MD'20.Nehls pointed to Brown's $7.2 billion endowment and its average annual return of around 10%, requesting an explanation from Paxson about "how these funds are used to improve the student…
University Student Faces Discipline For Emailing 3,800 Staff: ‘What Do You Do All Day?’
A student at Brown University is facing disciplinary charges for emailing thousands of non-faculty employees in a “Doge-like” email asking, “What do you do all day?” Alex Shieh created a database of 3,805 administrative employees to attempt to understand why the Ivy League has become so expensive after the latest tuition hike brought annual costs ...
Brown University student faces disciplinary action after asking non-faculty staff what they do all day as tuition soars
A Brown University student is facing disciplinary action after he sent a DOGE-like email to non-faculty employees to try to figure out why tuition has gotten so expensive.
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