The University of Colorado has launched a system-wide response to actions taken by the new presidential administration as it navigates confusion and questions from its employees and students.

CU Boulder and the CU System office have developed websites dedicated to answering questions and providing information about the federal transition as it affects the university.

“We are communicating often and providing thoughtful analysis regarding the federal directives,” CU System Senior Vice President for External Relations and Strategy Danielle Radovich Piper wrote in an email. “We recognize this is a stressful and confusing time for our students, faculty and staff. We will continue to communicate regularly the impacts the federal transition has on all four of our campuses.”

The response from CU is due to executive orders and actions taken by President Donald Trump and his administration that can or are impacting CU.

“Changes come with every new administration,” Radovich Piper wrote. “That said, the high volume of Executive Orders and Presidential memos and directives is challenging. Our legal and federal government relations teams are working hard to provide the most accurate and timely information to all four of our campuses.”

CU System’s Office of Government Relations has posted updates online every few days since Jan. 22. The most recent update posted Saturday explained that the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island issued a temporary restraining order that prevents federal agencies from freezing or blocking funding on grants or contracts that have already been awarded. It noted the order supersedes all prior guidance from the federal government or federal courts.

The update comes after the White House issued a freeze on federal grants and awards last week, an action that a federal judge later blocked.The university has advised all faculty and staff to continue federally funded work. If any employees receive a stop work order, they’re instructed to consult with campus legal counsel.

“When new orders are issued from Washington, they are analyzed by the CU system office in consultation with the four chancellors and campus legal and government affairs teams as quickly as possible,” CU Boulder spokesperson Nicole Mueksch wrote in an email. “As the CU system develops guidance, the CU Boulder Transition Advisory Committee, reporting to the chancellor, along with affected units, work together to understand the impacts of the new orders and rules, which we then communicate.”

Priority issues the university is reviewing for potential impacts include grants and grant funding, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and immigration.

Mueksch did not say how many employees at CU Boulder work in diversity, equity and inclusion roles.

“The University of Colorado Boulder is collectively committed to serving all of Colorado’s communities, with their many differences and perspectives,” Mueksch wrote. “We will continue our pursuit of this mission, and of our goals of providing top-notch education, access and affordability to students from all walks of life and supporting faculty in the pursuit of groundbreaking research and creative work to improve lives.”

The university also has answers to frequently asked immigration questions as rumors circulate of potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, raids in major cities nationwide, including Denver and Aurora. Mueksch said CU Boulder does not keep a record of the citizenship status of its employees or students, and all employment hires must meet regulations as defined by Colorado law.

According to the CU system website on the transition, the university is not generally required to disclose records on undocumented employees. If employees or students are approached by law enforcement, the university instructs them to involve campus police dispatch. In an emergency, call 911 or call 303-492-6666 for the non-emergency line.

Thousands of faculty, students and staff support research that is federally funded. Last fiscal year, CU Boulder recorded $495.4 million from federal agencies for research and creative work. CU Boulder’s 2,135 currently active federally funded grants, contracts, cooperative agreements and fellowships paid over multiple years total $3.6 billion.

The federal government cannot take back funding that’s already disbursed, but it may impact future work moving forward, according to the CU website.

University policy will continue to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, despite a gender ideology executive order that the United States recognizes two sexes: male and female.

Mueksch said CU Boulder’s response to the presidential transition has not cost the university any additional money. At the CU system, Radovich Piper said, it’s likely there will be a direct financial impact. To what extent is unclear.

“Understanding the multiple executive orders and directives and ensuring our institution is complying with all lawful orders takes time and the expertise of many staffers across the system,” Radovich Piper wrote in an email.

Mueksch said this is the first time CU Boulder has had to respond to a presidential transition in this manner. She said the university can’t predict how long it will continue.

“In the context of new federal directives, we will adhere to lawful orders from the federal government while not preemptively backing away from existing efforts that help us deliver on our mission,” Radovich Piper wrote in an email. “And we will always work to serve all the people of our great state. Our commitment to providing world-class educational opportunities, groundbreaking research, innovation and creative works, and exceptional healthcare is unwavering.”

To view the CU Boulder and CU System federal transition pages, visit colorado.edu/today/federal-transition and cu.edu/office-government-relations/federal-relations/federal-transition-updates. To read the latest updates from CU’s Office of Government Relations, visit cu.edu/blog/government-relations.