Dear ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë Community,
I am writing to address the uncertainty resulting from the recent federal executive orders and proposed legislation and how they may affect the important work we all do. We are reviewing these orders and working closely with our congressional delegation and other leaders in the state to understand their implications, to continue to promote and advocate for our work as a university, and to ensure our continued compliance with all federal laws. As we undertake this careful and deliberative work, I want to thank you for your patience and steadfast commitment to the values of Our Common Ground. It is through our longstanding commitment to these values, our dedication to the success of our entire community, our land grant mission, and our continued focus on impactful research that we will navigate this evolving landscape together.
Times like these bring with them opportunities for discussion and learning — especially for a university community. During the week of Feb. 10, we will host educational events that will provide opportunities to learn from our federal delegation, faculty, and colleagues who have dedicated their work and studies to some of the topics that are the focus of today’s headlines. We will explore what executive orders are and how they work. We will seek to understand the history of immigration in the United States and to put some global context around our country’s immigration challenges. We will discuss how to thoughtfully process the news and information we receive. Additionally, we will hold our Spring Semester Research Forum to address questions specific to communications and changes that researchers are receiving from federal funding agencies. As these events come together, we will share more details through Inside ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë and other university communication channels. I hope you will be able to join us.
As always, we will continue to advance the teaching, research, and engagement mission of the university, so much of which is about finding solutions to the most pressing challenges of our times. We will keep you informed when we have more information to share. In the meantime, please be assured that we are doing all that we can to position our university for continued success.
Thank you for all that you do for each other and for ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë.
Sincerely,
Patricia A. Prelock Interim President