Dear Faculty and Staff,

During this time of change in our nation, all of us are working to remain focused as we continue to dedicate ourselves to our students, research, work and the broader community. Of course, there is a great deal happening that demands our attention, so we wanted to take a moment to touch base.

As the new administration pursues changes at a rapid pace, our government relations and legal experts are continually monitoring, analyzing and engaging to understand how federal actions may be impacting CU. Additionally, our experts are in frequent communication with university leadership systemwide. As we have publicly stated, CU will adhere to lawful orders from the federal government while not preemptively backing away from existing efforts that help us deliver on our mission.

We also remain committed to transparency and communication. All updates regarding federal changes are posted on the federal transition website. Each of us are working to engage with CU’s shared governance groups and campus communities to ensure that information is shared quickly and clearly. Our budget teams are tracking the impact of orders on individual grants, contracts and funding streams. Faculty are encouraged to contact their respective grants and contracts offices if they are notified that their grants may be in question.

Due to the many court orders in effect, federal reimbursements in our research enterprise currently remain on schedule. While a small but important number of grants have been impacted by stop work orders, most have not. Our campus legal and government affairs teams are engaged in these affected areas, as is Colorado’s Attorney General, who asked us to provide specific information about the potential impact of several federal actions. We shared this information with the Attorney General and these “declarations” are posted on the federal transition website. As we learn of impacts at some of our federal agency partners, we are working to clarify how these disruptions may affect our federal colleagues, their work and CU.

We have all also seen several federal communications regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. Please know we continue to be committed to ensuring that CU is a place where people from all corners of our state feel at home and can be successful. This includes individuals from each of the protected class groups defined by the Regents. The CU Regents have done us a great service by defining our protected classes at the university. And as the CU community knows, discrimination and unlawful preferences are against current law. We have been, and will continue to be, vigilant in this area. It is crucial that we continue to demonstrate our commitment to this core principle and legal requirement.

We are deeply grateful for the extraordinary people who make up the CU community. Thank you for your hard work and dedication as we remain focused on delivering on our mission.

Together, we will navigate these changes and continue to serve our students, our great state and beyond. We are proud to be part of the University of Colorado with you.

Sincerely,

Todd Saliman, President
University of Colorado

Donald Elliman, Chancellor
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Justin Schwartz, Chancellor
University of Colorado Boulder

Jennifer Sobanet, Chancellor
University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Kenneth Christensen, Chancellor
University of Colorado Denver