Dear Members of the Harvard Community,
As we navigate a period of uncertainty for higher education, we are working with the deans and with other senior leaders from across the University to identify the ways in which emerging regulations and legislation, including yesterday’s memorandum issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), may affect our community and to address their implications.
According to the most recent OMB guidance, the directive to pause federal funding will not apply to student financial aid, including federal student loans and Pell Grants. If you are a student, you should continue to register for and attend classes unimpeded.
The directive does require a pause on a subset of federally funded research activities implicated in an evolving set of executive orders or through stop work orders or other guidance issued by federal agencies. If you are a member of our research community, you should expect to receive additional direction later this afternoon if you have not already.
In these challenging times, our efforts will be guided by our values and commitments: supporting academic excellence and the pursuit of knowledge; championing open inquiry, constructive dialogue, and academic freedom; building a community in which people of all backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences come together to learn, grow, and thrive; and embracing the rights and responsibilities that membership in such a community demands. We will work together—and with you—to uphold these values and commitments, and to pursue excellence in our core mission of teaching, learning, and research.
Sincerely,
Alan M. Garber
President
John F. Manning
Provost
Meredith Weenick
Executive Vice President