Updates on the Federal Landscape

Updates on the Federal Landscape

Updated 5:06 p.m. April 7, 2025

University of Arizona leaders are monitoring the changing federal landscape and assessing the impact of the federal updates on our operations, research activities, and our faculty, staff and students. We acknowledge the uncertainty, questions and concerns raised by these changes. 

University leaders and teams across campus are working together to understand the full scope of anticipated legislation, guidance and regulations from all levels of government. In preparation, we are engaging with federal and state agencies, higher education associations, peer institutions and the Arizona Board of Regents. 

We are taking a thorough and measured approach to determine the appropriate next steps. The implementation of the recent federal directives is a complex process and it will take time to understand their full impact. As developments continue to emerge and new information becomes available, we will provide timely updates and guidance. 

We will continue to uphold our unwavering commitment to fostering a welcoming and supportive environment for all students, faculty and staff, where everyone can thrive as we advance our university mission. 

Research Activities 

The Office of Research, Innovation & Impact (RII) has created a Federal Funding Updates page (requires NetID) to provide updates for research activities and guidance to our faculty members in navigating changes. Members of the university research community should consult this page for the latest developments and a list of relevant contacts. 

Recognizing that temporary disruptions in federal funding can pose significant challenges, RII announced the Bridge Funding Investment Program on March 6. 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

We are taking a measured approach to address the new federal guidance impacting higher education institutions nationwide. We have a responsibility to comply with the laws and guidance that apply to our public university.

We have been working collaboratively across the university to carefully review our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)-related activities based on federal directives. We are mandated to discontinue certain activities and programming that involve preferential treatment. This doesn’t change our unwavering commitment to fostering a welcoming and supportive environment for all students, faculty and staff.

The vice provosts and I have engaged with various university leaders and stakeholders, including student, faculty and staff representatives, to ensure our approach benefits from a wide range of perspectives. Together we have developed recommendations and begun implementing changes: 

  • We have published a new webpage that hosts Our Commitment to an Environment Free From Discrimination to reaffirm our opposition to all forms of bias, including Antisemitism and lslamophobia. This nondiscrimination statement appears in the footer of every arizona.edu page and is being added across all subdomains.
  • We are updating university websites and materials to align language with federal guidance. We are also evaluating committees, programming, scholarships, events, and awards to ensure they are open to the entire campus community without restriction based on identity groups. We continue to explore how to best approach support resources and community engagement opportunities to benefit all of our students. 

As we navigate these changes together, we continue to uphold our values of compassion and care for every member of our university community. 

Information Disclosure

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law that governs the rights of students and institutional responsibilities concerning education records. Student education records include information on students’ enrollment in classes as well as their performance or grades in classes.

The FERPA page on the Office of the Registrar website provides detailed information about the release of student education records. If you have any questions, please email the Office of the Registrar. 

Faculty and staff are legally required to protect student information under FERPA. If you have not already done so, complete the FERPA training to learn how to safeguard student education records. You may wish to retake the training to refresh your understanding.

If you are approached by law enforcement requesting student information, please direct them to the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). 

OGC contact information is as follows: 

Please note that, as a general practice, the Dean of Students Office (DOS) only shares student information with the University of Arizona Police Department (UAPD) in cases of imminent health or safety concerns, as determined by DOS. 

As a general practice, the university will release student or employee information when legally required or in response to a valid court order, subpoena or warrant.

Arizona Board of Regents Policy 6-912 policy governs the access to and disclosure of personnel records or information, specifically: employee, administrative, and third-party access. The university abides by this policy.  

As a general practice, the university will release student or employee information when legally required or in response to a valid court order, subpoena or warrant.

Student and employee medical records are protected under privacy laws. Such information cannot be disclosed without the consent of the individual except under certain limited exceptions.

As a general practice, the university will release student or employee information when legally required or in response to a valid court order, subpoena or warrant.

Guidance for Faculty

Faculty members have the right to academic freedom, which allows them to teach and engage in academic inquiry and discourse without interference. For questions, please email Faculty Affairs or call their office at 520-626-0202. 

Additional resources for all faculty, staff and students:

Campus Safety

The Office of Public Safety is committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of the university community. Information and resources about campus safety are available on safety.arizona.edu, including:

The University of Arizona Police Department (UAPD) is our campus law enforcement agency. UAPD officers are regularly in public and non-public areas of campus as part of their work to keep our campus safe. If you have questions about the presence of, or a request from, a UAPD officer, you may contact the on-duty UAPD supervisor at 520-621-8273.

 

Access to University Facilities

As a public, land-grant institution, a large portion of the campus, such as the University Mall, is open to the general public. 

However, public access is limited in certain areas of campus and many university spaces are not generally open to the public. Included in this category of limited access spaces are campus buildings to which access is restricted by university-issued ID card (CatCard), such as campus residences, classrooms, research labs and office spaces, unless public events are being held in those locations. 

In most circumstances, law enforcement officials may not enter a classroom, laboratory, dorm room, or private office without a warrant, a judicial order or exigent circumstances.

Instructors have the right to restrict classroom attendance to those officially registered for the class.

Responding to Non-University Law Enforcement

University employees are expected to cooperate when they are contacted by non-university law enforcement officials and should: 

If any employee in any university unit receives a university-related warrant, subpoena or judicial order, or is contacted by law enforcement to access university records or university property, in addition to contacting UAPD, that employee should also contact the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). OGC will advise the university regarding its response, which is dependent upon the circumstances and context of the situation. 

OGC contact information is as follows: 

International Students, Faculty and Scholars

The university provides resources for international students, faculty and scholars, including important immigration and travel reminders.  

International Student Services is available to provide information and support. International students can email intl-isps@arizona.edu or call 520-621-4627. 

International faculty, scholars and employees can contact International Faculty and Scholars at uaifs@arizona.edu or call 520-626-6289. 

Support for Students

Campus Health’s Counseling & Psych Services (CAPS) offers mental health counseling and other resources.

Dean of Students Office offers support and resources for students navigating various challenges, including personal crises, life traumas, health issues, and academic struggles.

Complete an online CARE referral form or call 520-651-7075 to request support for yourself or someone else.

Support for Faculty and Staff

Human Resources provides benefits-eligible employees, their dependents and members of their households access to confidential Employee Assistance Counseling through ComPsych – offered in multiple languages and available 24/7 by calling 855-511-9855 (TTY: 800-697-0353). 

The Mental & Emotional Health page is a hub for helpful links and resources, including resources from CredibleMind and workshops covering a variety of mental health and emotional well-being topics, from cultivating a positive mindset to fostering resilience.

Human Resources offers benefits-eligible employees access to LinkedIn Learning courses, including a collection on Stress Management.