University's Response to Federal Shutdown

Colleagues,
 
I want to make you aware that we have a team—including Mike Green, Irem Tumer, Sherm Bloomer, Dan Larson, Becca Gose and Julie Penry, and Susan Capalbo—exploring what the university can do to provide support to faculty researchers and students affected by the federal shutdown. This could include providing resources to address cash flow problems for grants and contracts, and potentially support for certain costs associated with the shut-down that will not be reimbursed when the government reopens. We also need to be attentive to implications for promotion and tenure for younger and mid-career scholars. Obviously we have work to do to assess what help is needed as well as our financial capacity to assist, legal and policy implications, and risk concerns, and so forth. And we’ll need to pull together across the university—central administrations, colleges, institutes and so on—to maximize our capacity to help.
 
If you have impacts/needs to relay on behalf of your units, or faculty and students, please do so. You may send them to Jennifer Almquist, who is helping coordinate the effort and will be aggregating information. For your information, Irem is leading on the research side; Dan on the student side; Mike and Sherm on budget and resource sides; and Becca and Julie on the legal issues; and Susan on the P&T implications. If you decide to communicate directly with these individuals, I ask you to copy Jennifer so that we make sure we have a comprehensive picture of needs and issues.
 
I want to stress that we’re in the stage of formulating an action plan, and need to be careful not to create false hopes that the university will be able to keep everyone whole. However, we’re going to do everything we can to support our faculty and students affected by this unprecedented situation.
 
Best,

Edward Feser
Provost and Executive Vice President
Oregon State University