Message from Provost Blouin on possible partial federal shutdown
Provost Robert A. Blouin shares an update on the effects a partial government shutdown would have on campus.
Dear Campus Community,
As you probably are aware, Congress is currently negotiating a deal to avoid a partial federal government shutdown. If an agreement is not reached today by midnight, certain portions of the government will temporarily go unfunded, when legislation expires to appropriate funding for fiscal 2019.
UNC-Chapel Hill has been planning for a partial shutdown scenario, and our campus is well prepared. Our Office of Federal Affairs and other front-line units are coordinating closely with the appropriate federal and state government agencies as we determine the possible impact on the University.
At this point, every indication is that a short-term partial shutdown would have a minimal impact on the U.S. higher education community. Currently, the University is operating on a normal basis. We will continue to use available funds to support work related to research contracts and grants. Students receiving federal financial aid will not experience any changes to their awards.
No one can predict how long this partial shutdown might last. A longer-term scenario could present challenges for some areas of University operations, and we will continue our analysis to determine what steps the campus may potentially need to take moving forward.
We are committed to keeping you informed about how the federal government shutdown affects you and our campus. The Office of Research Communications has created a website to help the campus community access information about current federal budget issues related to the partial shutdown.
Please visit https://research.unc.edu/shutdown/ to find relevant information, including specific federal agency communications and links to individual agency shutdown plans.
In addition, our vice chancellors and other senior administrators will communicate directly with you if needed about the federal shutdown and operations in areas including research administration and human resources.
Sincerely,
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Bob Blouin
