Dear Faculty and Staff,
We want to share an update regarding the federal government shutdown that may affect our campus operations.
Following the absence of agreement, the federal government shut down non-essential government operations as defined by federal agencies just after midnight. We cannot say with certainty when Congress will advance funding legislation that has the effect of resuming normal government operations. Please be assured, we continue to work closely with our partners at the Universities of Wisconsin (UWs) as we coordinate contingency plans and monitor the situation.
We believe the immediate impact on our operations is limited. Federal financial aid has mostly been disbursed, and we are carefully monitoring federal grant funding reimbursements and other activities for potential impact to our university community. For those with federally funded grants or contracts, please be aware there may be delays in processing or requests for alternate plans.
The UWM Office of Research is fully engaged. For principal investigators on federal grants, any shutdown-related correspondence from the sponsor (e.g., stop work order) should be shared immediately with the Office of Sponsored Programs via OR-Support@uwm.edu. In addition, a virtual forum for faculty and staff engaged in research will be hosted at 1:15 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 3, by Vice Provost for Research Ali Abedi and Chief Government Relations Officer Keri Duce. More details about how to join the forum will be sent this afternoon from OSP.
We are gathering real-time information from our higher education colleagues, our government partners and the UWs to inform our planning. We will share updates as they are available. The UWs Federal Updates Work Group continues to meet on a weekly basis and posts weekly Federal Friday updates. Keri Duce is UWM’s representative on the federal work group.
Employees with personal concerns or questions are encouraged to connect with resources through UWM’s Employee Assistance Program.
We are doing everything possible to keep core campus operations stable and to support our community through any disruptions. We will communicate as necessary as the situation develops, and individuals may be contacted directly with information that pertains to their situation.
Thank you for your patience as this situation evolves.
Robin Van Harpen
Senior Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administrative Affairs
Andrew Daire
Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs
Ali Abedi
Vice Provost for Research
Keri Duce
Chief Government Relations Officer