One week into President Donald Trump’s administration, University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes announced the creation of four rapid response teams to address federal changes that could impact UNM. The teams will focus on inclusive excellence, immigration policy implications, research funding impacts and patient care considerations, according to a Jan. 27 campus-wide email.
The teams will be composed of the best experts on each topic, guided by Stokes and the University’s three executive vice presidents, according to UNM Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Cinnamon Blair. The UNM Office of Government & Community Relations is helping gather information for UNM at the federal level, Blair said.
The inclusive excellence team will research how Trump’s orders on diversity, equity and inclusion could affect UNM, according to Blair. On Jan. 20, Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending federal agencies’ DEI programs, according to The Associated Press.
On Wednesday, Jan. 29, Trump’s budget office rescinded a memo freezing federal loan and grant spending, according to the AP. The previous day, the UNM Office of the Vice President for Research announced in a statement that UNM would continue to distribute federal financial aid to students and that researchers should not stop working on federally funded projects.
“I think what we’re really wanting to do is give out good information, because we do know that people are concerned and worried, but we don’t want to put out information that’s inaccurate,” Blair said.
In the Jan. 27 email, Stokes stated that circulating claims of federal agents on the UNM campus and at UNM Hospital were unfounded.
“We promise to communicate openly about any confirmed developments affecting our campus,” the email reads.
The University will launch a website for the rapid response teams soon, according to Blair. The website will feature an FAQ section and a place for campus community members to submit their own questions, she said.
Lily Alexander is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on X @llilyalexander
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Lily Alexander is the 2024-2025 Editor of the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @llilyalexander
