Dear Colleagues,   

Over the last week, universities received several executive orders and other directives from a number of federal agencies. These directives have created understandable confusion and concern.

In dialogue with universities across the nation, we are actively working to understand the immediate impact of these orders, and to gain insight into how the administration’s direction will affect our work and our mission. Here are some of the ways we are working to gain clarity and provide meaningful updates to the community:   

Advisory group   Late in the fall, President Karl Scholz created a short-term advisory group to help the University of Oregon better understand and respond to policy and legal changes initiated by the new federal administration. The advisory group is examining the recent executive orders and directives and will provide recommendations to the president. The group is also actively gathering guidance from higher education advocacy organizations, such as the Association of American Universities (AAU), the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA), and the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU).

Working with our elected officials  Our Government and Community Relations team is in regular contact with the Oregon delegation and other key policy makers in Congress, and our contacts at federal agencies. We are also in communication with our state representatives, association partners, and other higher education institutions. 

Conferring with peers and colleagues  In addition, university leaders at all levels are conferring regularly with our peers across the country to gain a more textured understanding of what is unfolding, so that we can be intentional and strategic in our responses.

Providing direction to our research community   Unless and until Principal Investigators have been informed of specific changes affecting grants or contracts, work should continue. If you receive any communication from a funding agency directing you to cease or alter any work being conducted under a current grant or contract, please immediately inform OVPRI at vpri@uoregon.edu and the Office of the General Counsel at gcounsel@uoregon.edu for direction. Visit the OVPRI webpage on Updates on Federal Executive Orders and Research Activities. This page will be updated with information and direction for our research community. 

If you have further questions or if questions come to you specifically from federal agencies, please engage directly with the respective UO office that has specific oversight of the activities at the heart of your question (i.e., Office of the VPRI for research grant questions; Office of Financial Aid for student aid questions, etc.).  

As we continue to seek greater clarity, the university’s leadership remains focused on our institutional mission: to educate, to discover, and to serve our community and the State of Oregon. At the heart of this mission is our enduring commitment to cultivate and sustain a community enriched by a diversity of perspective, ability, identity, experience, thought, and background.  

Sincerely,

Christopher P. Long

Provost and Senior Vice President