Carolina Responds to the Federal Shutdown
DATE: September 29, 2023
Dear Campus Community,
As you probably are aware, Congress is currently negotiating a deal to avoid a federal government shutdown. Congress must pass legislation that funds the federal government into the start of the new Fiscal Year 2024 (October 1). If a funding bill is not passed and signed into law by midnight on Saturday, September 30, a funding gap will occur and the federal government will begin a temporary shutdown of affected activities.
UNC Chapel Hill has been carefully planning for a shutdown scenario, and our campus is well prepared. Our Office of Federal Affairs and other front-line units are coordinating closely with the appropriate agencies of the federal and state governments as we determine the possible impact on the University.
At this point, every indication is that a short-term federal shutdown would have a minimal impact on the U.S. higher education community. Currently, the University is operating on a normal basis. We will continue to use available funds to support work related to research contracts and grants. Students receiving federal financial aid will not experience any changes to their awards.
No one can predict how long a shutdown might last. A longer-term scenario could present challenges for some areas of University operations, and we will continue our analysis to determine what steps the campus may potentially need to take moving forward.
We are committed to keeping you informed about how a federal government shutdown affects you and our campus. The University’s Office of Research Communications has created a website to help the campus community access information about the current federal budget issues related to a shutdown. This site contains relevant information, including specific federal agency communications and links to individual agency shutdown plans.
In addition, our vice chancellors and other senior administrators will communicate directly with you if needed about the federal shutdown and operations in areas including research administration and human resources.
Sincerely,
J. Christopher Clemens, Provost
Guidance from Federal Agencies
- Department of Education (ED) (September 27, 2021)
- Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) (September 21, 2023)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (September 29, 2021)
- General Services Administration (GSA) (September 26, 2023)
- National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) (September 27, 2023)
- National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) (September 28, 2023)
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) (September 21, 2023)
- National Science Foundation (NSF) (September 27, 2023)
For information on all other federal agency contingency plans, visit The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).