Colleagues,
When Congress returns from its 4th of July recess, discussions will resume around the various aspects of the budget proposal that President Trump rolled out at the end of May. As you no doubt are aware through the countless analyses and debates we’ve all heard in the past weeks, the President’s proposal contains substantive cuts to a variety of federal programs – many of which would dramatically impact the university if implemented as proposed. However, there is considerable work left to be done, and while this budget is receiving more attention than most, there is every reason to believe that Congress will modify the budget as it typically does through debate, negotiation, and a weighing of risks and benefits. In fact, this work is well underway.
In the meantime, without speaking to the politics of federal spending, we wanted to assure the campus that we are focused on retaining funding of our federally supported programs because we believe wholeheartedly that they deliver real value to the citizens of the country and the state of Colorado. We have been in close communication with our federal delegation over the past several weeks, and all of the national higher-education organizations of which we are a part are also focused on the budget and its impacts.
So while the budget as proposed is concerning for CSU, we believe there is every reason to be optimistic that it will be modified from its original form as all presidential budgets ultimately are. We will keep the campus apprised as things move forward in the coming months. If there are specific questions about individual research projects or programs, please contact Vice President for Research Alan Rudolph and his team.
In the meantime, we want to wish all of you a happy and restful 4th of July. The independence, vitality, and resilience of our nation and its people are worth celebrating – have a wonderful holiday.
Sincerely,
Dr. Tony Frank, President
Dr. Rick Miranda, Provost and Executive Vice President
Dr. Alan Rudolph, Vice President for Research
