Dear UVM community, 

Over the past few months, my weekly messages have primarily focused on sharing the most recent information available. Another pathway for communication with our community has been in-person and/or live-streamed forums on various research and immigration topics. We will continue to offer these opportunities for dialogue and hope you will participate! 
 
There were two key discussions this week: the Immigration Information Session: The Evolving U.S. Context public forum on Tuesday and today’s webinar, Federal Actions Q&A with University Leadership. The session on immigration saw a host of broad questions answered in real time—while participants with more specific questions related to their personal circumstances were encouraged to consult directly with our Office of International Education. Both events focused on fostering our collective understanding of the latest developments out of Washington and how they could impact our community—in the short and long term—as one of the nation’s leading research universities. 
 
The weekly meetings of our Operations Teams for Federal Response (OTFR) have been valuable and productive. The thoughtful composition of these teams with faculty, staff, senior leaders, and administrators has created a network of touch points across our campus community for your input. The ideas brought into these meetings are examined through a wide range of perspectives before being elevated to our Core Leadership Group, which can then direct vital work in related policies and support resources. A full roster of the OTFR’s members can be found on our Federal Actions webpage. I am so appreciative of the dialogue that is occurring and the ideas being generated. 

One example of a dialogue-driven outcome from these groups is the FAQ web page shared with campus leaders this week. This resource will be updated regularly with additional questions that arise from within our campus community. 
 
I continue to have face-to-face conversations across campus about people’s questions and concerns. Nothing can replace the value of real-time, in-person connections and dialogue. This has always been and will always be my preferred way of communicating. Thank you for your engagement and commitment.

Warmly, 
 
Patricia Prelock 
Interim President