Updates on Federal Actions and UC Guidance

The flurry of executive orders and other communications from federal officials over the past few weeks have caused great confusion and understandable concerns for many members of our campus community. Some putative orders or directives are ambiguous and difficult to interpret. Others might appear clear but are of uncertain practical significance. Others are already being challenged as violations of existing law. As a result, questions arise more quickly than answers can be provided.

At UC Irvine, teams are actively working with colleagues across the UC system, the Office of the President, and national higher education organizations to analyze these communications so that we might provide guidance based on careful deliberation of facts, law, and our core values.

The UC chancellors, including myself, have emphasized the importance of speaking with one voice and providing consistent, reliable information across the system. To that end, the Office of the President has established a new online Federal Updates resource that shares information on topics including research, immigration, and more. It will be kept current as new information becomes available. I encourage you to visit this resource often to stay informed of the latest updates, assessments, and University actions.

We will also provide periodic updates summarizing the most important recent developments or reminding you to check out the online resource.

As we navigate these evolving circumstances, we remain focused on advancing and protecting our fundamental mission to serve society as a center of higher learning by discovering and transmitting advanced knowledge. We also reaffirm our commitment to our Principles of Community, which celebrate the rich diversity of backgrounds and experiences of members of our community and stand against any form of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, nationality, age, gender and gender identity, ability, sexual orientation, or any other basis protected by university policy.

Fiat Lux.

Chancellor Howard Gillman