Overview

• On June 4, Alex Shieh testified before the House Judiciary Committee, pressing Congress to require elite universities to disclose detailed spending and protect student journalists from retaliation.
• Shieh highlighted Brown’s deployment of 3,805 non-instructional staff for 7,229 undergraduates and a median student family income exceeding $200,000 to illustrate growing administrative costs and access disparities.
• Cleared of disciplinary action on May 14, Shieh had previously sent DOGE-style emails to nearly 4,000 Brown administrators asking them to justify their roles and tasks.
• Lawmakers examined potential antitrust violations in Ivy League financial aid practices, referencing Brown’s nearly $20 million settlement in a 2024 price-fixing lawsuit.
• Brown defended its staffing growth as vital to research and graduate education, while Republicans praised Shieh’s advocacy and Democrats faulted the hearing’s focus.