Dear UVM community,

I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to meet with nearly 60 leaders of other universities at the Presidents’ Convening on College Student Mental Health and Wellbeing—certainly a timely topic not just for students but for each of us with the worry of a potential government shutdown and the impact on access to research funding that supports jobs across our institution. A key takeaway at the convening was the importance of resilience, and ways to cultivate it in our students, such as increasing their self-control, academic engagement, and self-compassion, as well as learning to build relationships with peers, faculty, and staff. As I reflect on these strategies, there is clear relevance to each of us during a time of significant uncertainty about our position in academia.

Difficult news continues to challenge us daily—including the recently announced cuts and changes to the Department of Education, as well as actions around free expression on college campuses. At UVM, our resilience continues to serve us in processing and understanding these situations. In fact, relationship building has been fundamental to the success within our research community, the value of our support centers, the collaboration among our schools and colleges, and the engagement with our governance groups. One example of this is the ability of our international students to bring their questions and concerns to our Office of International Education. Another is our Sponsored Project Administration issuing guidance related to award notices. These support resources exist throughout our community to serve our entire campus in such times of need.

I understand the desire and need for clarity with so many federal changes coming forward. I want to acknowledge your apprehension and anxiety around federal funding changes and the necessary actions we have initiated with our temporary hiring pause announced last week. Several questions are being raised about the future implications of funding changes such as the proposed decrease in F & A rates. Although there is a temporary restraining order on this action, we must be prepared for potential long-term impacts where F & A dollars are awarded at a lower rate than they are currently. It is important to understand that these dollars are part of the general fund supporting the entire campus. Our Operations Teams for Federal Response continue to approach these issues with an eye toward understanding, as much as possible, the external factors that will likely impact UVM.

Those teams are committed to helping the campus community stay informed through efforts such as a Teams Live event planned for March 28 to explore Federal actions and their impact on the university, as well as an upcoming information session to address specific concerns of our international students. More details about those events will be released in the coming weeks.

It is only natural, in a time when so many questions arise, to yearn for answers. It takes something extra to withstand such uncertainty, stay the course, and remain sure-footed. We may not have all the answers we wish we had, but we do have what we need to keep moving forward. It is important that we continue to do the work we are doing, remain committed to our students’ education, and stay Catamount Strong. 

Warmly,

Patricia Prelock
Interim President