January 28, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

Following last week’s executive orders from the White House, last night the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo that directs government agencies to temporarily halt “disbursement of all Federal financial assistance” as of 5 p.m. today, pending White House review. Following last night’s initial memo, the  OMB issued subsequent guidance.

As an R1 university, CSU receives substantial federal support for research activities, community partnerships, student support programs and much more. There are many outstanding questions about the scope and implications of this memo. CSU leadership is actively engaging with stakeholders and local, state and national partners to assess both immediate and long-term potential impacts to our university.

At this point, we ask all faculty and staff to continue with normal day-to-day activities, unless you have explicitly been directed otherwise by university leadership or a federal agency. CSU will communicate directly with campus stakeholder groups as we learn more and receive specific guidance.

Some CSU researchers have received stop-work orders related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) activities connected to sponsored projects. All impacted project leads and principal investigators have been contacted by the Office of the Vice President for Research.

If you are a faculty or staff member leading a project that receives guidance from a federal agency, we ask that you immediately notify Assistant Vice President for Research Meg Suter and Ashley Stahle, Associate Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs.

The OMB has explicitly stated that Pell Grants will not be paused, and we will continue to monitor whether financial aid payments of any kind will be affected.

We recognize that this White House memo and various executive orders from the incoming administration are creating uncertainty here at Colorado State and higher education institutions across the country. This is an incredibly fluid situation, and please know that we are working to understand the impacts and provide guidance as we navigate these changes. We are here to support you and our students, and we will move forward as a university community to fulfill our land grant mission.

Sincerely,

Amy Parsons
President

Marion Underwood
Provost and Executive Vice President

Cassandra Moseley
Vice President for Research