The following update is provided by Julia Jackson-Newsom, Associate Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs.
Transitions in federal administration at the executive and legislative branches typically result in a spectrum of regulatory and legislative changes. The breadth of and speed with which administrative changes and policy priorities are currently being announced is understandably raising questions about possible impacts on University activities and decisions. We do anticipate that additional changes will continue to be announced through executive orders, proposed legislation, and other mechanisms.
Our Government Affairs team is charged with tracking these changes (and anticipating them where possible), keeping our community informed about these changes, and working with University leadership to identify and advocate for the University’s positions and priorities. We do this by remaining in close communication and coordination with the elected officials who represent us, colleagues at our peer institutions, and higher education industry associations.
We have convened a strategy steering committee that includes representatives from several University areas that may be directly impacted by federal policy. This group allows us to be as coordinated, nimble, and responsive as possible in this complex and evolving environment.
We encourage you to reach out if you have questions or concerns. Please contact Vice Provost Kim McAllister with questions specific to the implications of the executive orders for externally funded grants and contracts. Vice President José Villalba is the contact for questions specific to the diversity, equity, and inclusion components of the executive orders. All other questions can be directed to Associate Vice President Jackson-Newsom (govaffairs@wfu.edu). We ask that you do not change the course of work or take other independent actions based on the recent Executive Orders unless directly instructed to do so by the University.
Please visit this Wake Forest website to review the recent executive orders and other key guidance issued. Internal guidance pertinent to particular functions within the University will be communicated directly by the offices responsible for those areas (e.g., HR, Immigration Services). We are here to provide the most up-to-date guidance possible as we navigate these changes as a community.
