Recruiting Policies

The Brown University Career Development Center is a member of NACE ( National Association of Colleges and Employers) . As such, we adhere to NACE's Principles for Professional Conduct. We encourage our recruiters to become familiar with these principles, particularly those pertaining to Employment Professionals.

Employer Recruiting Policies

Non-Discrimination Policy

Higher education institutions are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), or gender (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972) in any program or activity of the University. The University is also prohibited from discriminating on the basis of handicap (the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990), veteran status, or age. The University has established the following policy on non-discrimination:

Brown University does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, status as a veteran, national or ethnic origin, gender identity and gender expression or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, or other school administered programs.

Interview and Employment Offer Policy

Experience has shown that allowing candidates enough time to make a truly informed decision is ultimately in the best interest of both the candidate and the employer. The Career Development Center requires all of its employer partners to allow student candidates for employment sufficient time to explore their career options before coming to an informed decision regarding the acceptance of a full-time employment or internship offer. To this end, students should not cancel 1st round interviews to conduct a 2nd round interview with another firm. Employers are asked to work with students to make alternate arrangements for 2nd round interviews if there is a scheduling conflict.

Full-time Offers

Fall Semester—Employers must allow students to participate in the full semester of recruitment activities. If employers make offers at the end of the summer to interns returning to Brown for senior year, they must be given until December 1, 2008 to make a decision. Employers who make offers during fall recruiting (for summer 2009 start dates) must allow students one month or until December 1, 2008 (whichever comes later) to make a decision.

Spring Semester—Employers who make offers for full-time positions during spring recruiting (for summer 2009 start dates) must allow students one month or until April 1, 2009 (whichever comes later) to make a decision.

Internship Offers

Please note that summer internship recruiting at Brown is offered in the spring semester only. Employers who make offers for internships during spring recruiting must allow candidates two weeks or until March 1, 2009 (whichever comes later) to make a decision.

Exploding Offers

Exploding offers are strictly prohibited. The Career Development Center defines an exploding offer as follows: “Any offer that does not adhere to the policy stated above and/or that has special incentives attached, e.g.; diminishing bonuses and location preferences, etc. for purposes of inducing early acceptance.” Employers violating this policy will be immediately suspended from further recruiting activities at Brown University for at least one year, or until Employer Relations determines that there has been an acceptable resolution to the problem. We strongly encourage employers to discuss special circumstances in advance with the Senior Associate Director or Manager of Employer Relations.

Rescinded Employment Offers

All employment offers should be made in good faith. We strongly encourage employers to work with Employer Relations if an offer is to be rescinded. Employers who renege on an employment offer without just cause will be immediately suspended from further recruiting activities at Brown University for at least one year.

Alcohol Policy

In accordance with guidelines established by NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers), there should be no consumption of alcohol by candidates in the interview process, either on or off campus. Employers should neither offer alcohol to candidates nor expect that candidates will consume alcohol.

Third Party Recruiter Policy:

Third party recruiters who wish to participate in any of Brown University’s Career Development Center programs MUST agree to the following terms and conditions:

  1. In order to recruit Brown students and alumni through the Career Development Center, the third party recruiter must agree to disclose the position description and the name of the employer. This information will be made available to Brown students/alumni who are registered to participate in our recruiting and job posting programs.
  2. The third party recruiter shall be responsible for any fees associated with posting the position through Brown Career Connection, or other job posting systems. The third party recruiter can be listed as the contact for student/alumni cover letters and resumes.
  3. Brown students/alumni will not be charged a fee for the third party recruiter’s services.
  4. If a Brown student or alumnus goes through the interview process with the third party recruiter and is NOT selected for the specific position, that resume will NOT be put into the recruiter’s general pool of candidates without the written consent of the individual.
  5. This agreement will remain in effect for all positions posted through the third party recruiter.
  6. The third party recruiter will follow all federal and state employment laws.
  7. Third party recruiters are not eligible to participate in on-campus career fairs.

NOTE: MORE to come on policies regarding commission-based positions, etc.

Brown College Curriculum Council - Statement on Grade Point Average

With the inception of its New Curriculum in 1969, Brown University eliminated the calculation of Grade Point Averages (GPA) for its students. Students and others may sometimes make their own calculations from transcript records, but such calculations in no way reflect an official university statistic.

Instead, Brown University promotes the use of criteria for assessment and evaluation that go beyond grades and GPA. These include portfolios of a student’s work, Course Performance Reports, and letters of recommendation.

Given Brown’s unique grading system, it is difficult to compare a GPA calculated from a Brown transcript with ones from other schools. Brown allows students to take an unlimited number of courses S/NC (Satisfactory/No Credit) and only records full-letter grades of A, B or C (without plusses and minuses). There is no grade of D, and failing grades are not recorded.

Employers as well as graduate and professional schools seek Brown graduates for their analytical ability, independence, creativity, communication and leadership skills, qualities not necessarily reflected in a GPA. All students and alumni who choose not to compute a GPA for resumes, applications, or whatever else it may be requested are acting consistently with Brown’s educational policies.