My Fellow Canes,
Last month, in an update to faculty, I touched on a number of internal and external factors affecting our current circumstances. From government actions in Washington, D.C. to our upcoming Centennial, this is a time to take what we have learned in nearly a century of transformation and apply it to a new normal, keeping excellence in the delivery of our mission as our north star.
I shared with the faculty at a Town Hall hosted by the Faculty Senate last evening, as I had with the Board of Trustees and the UHealth Board of Directors at their February meetings, that we at the U, like our peers in the Association of American Universities (AAU) and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), receive a significant amount of funding from government agencies. Those funds are subject to certain stipulations and conditions set by those elected to serve taxpayers, and we must adhere to the laws, regulations, and agency guidance that accompany government resources. Therefore, research universities and academic health systems across the country are facing uncertainty and potential challenges as new directives make their way through regulatory and legislative
processes, as well as the courts.
As we adapt to this changing reality, I have confidence that the University of Miami will emerge—as we always have—resolute and resilient in fulfilling our mission of education, research, and patient care. The national landscape changes daily, sometimes multiple times a day. At the same time, state lawmakers started legislative session in Tallahassee this week.
Rather than attempting to provide the campus community a play by play, let me assure you that our leadership team is not only tracking the goings on, but evaluating the options that will best serve our students, patients, and community. We have met with many groups on campus in recent weeks and will continue to engage. The faculty townhall Q&A are now posted for them on the HUB and the Updates for Faculty SharePoint site. In addition, we have launched a public facing site where you can access government agency guidance straight from the source as it becomes available.
We want to continue to be a world-class research institution. Each day, we are painstakingly analyzing how recent executive orders and the subsequent guidance federal agencies have issued could impact our operations, even as numerous legal challenges and political power dynamics continue to play out.
The goal of our analysis and any mitigations we implement is singular: to safeguard and prioritize our key mission areas and protect the institution. We must be nimble.
Potential mitigation measures range from pauses on non-mission critical hiring to reducing the use of external resources, such as consultants, to opting against discretionary travel. As we consider these and other necessary steps, we will communicate directly with those affected. I appreciate the candor with which our faculty engaged with me last night, and look forward to continuing the conversation at our next faculty Canes Network Town Hall and seeing many of you at the various campus events planned next month to celebrate our Centennial.
External circumstances will continue to change, but the core of who we are as Canes—the institution that changed the trajectory of my life and daily changes the lives of our students, patients, and community for the better—remains. Your talent, dedication, and thoughtful collaboration are what make the U strong. I have faith that, we will navigate anything that lies ahead.
Onward together,
Joe
Joseph J. Echevarria
President & Chief Executive Officer, University of Miami
Chief Executive Officer, UHealth
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