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What We Stand For

Ensuring every member of our campus community feels valued, welcomed and included
Academic freedom in our teaching and programs
Anti-discrimination protections
Accessible education
Freedom of speech and upholding First Amendment rights within the context of time, place and manner
Kuleana to foster a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning
Campuses where all are welcomed—regardless of where you come from, who you are, what you believe, or whom you love

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Executive Orders and Actions:

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility

January 20	EO 14151 – “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” dismantles long-standing diversity initiatives.
January 21	EO 14168 – “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” reshapes federal policies on gender identity.
February 14	EO 14173 – “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” restructures hiring and funding priorities. The U.S. Department of Education’s Dear Colleague Letter issues stricter, more rigid guidance on eliminating DEIA programs, heightening institutional uncertainty.

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Executive Orders and Actions:

NIH & DOE

February 7	The National Institutes of Health unveils an aggressive plan to cap indirect costs at 15%, significantly reducing research funding flexibility.
March 13	The U.S. Department of Education announces a staggering 50% reduction in its workforce, threatening essential student services and regulatory oversight. DOE is third largest source of grants at UH

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Executive Orders and Actions:

DOGE and Title VI

February 26	EO 14158 – “Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Cost Efficiency” initiates broad federal budget cuts. Guidance on Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans signals sweeping layoffs and structural changes across multiple departments.
March 10	The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights sends an official letter to UH Mānoa, raising concerns about compliance.

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UH Taking Action

Supporting Litigation
Partnering with our Congressional offices, the Governor, the state legislature and the Hawaiʻi State Attorney General
Meeting Frequently with Executive Order Response Team
Creating UH President’s Advisory Council (23 stakeholders)
Communicating Directly with Groups Across our Campuses
Creating Alternative Support for Graduate Students Who Have Lost Funding
Evaluating the financial impact of the executive orders, exploring strategies to maintain our commitment to the university’s core mission

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Risk Assessment: Existing Grants

High Risk	Medium Risk	Low Risk
Projects with DEIA components, accessibility initiatives, or climate change focus.	Grants related to health, Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI), or underrepresented populations	Projects related to environmental science but not categorized under climate change

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Uncertainty / Qualifiers

Changing by the Hour
Based on Current Executive Orders
Significant Threats to UH Outside of Executive Orders that are Likely Grow

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UH Budget

Operating Budget: $1.3 billion

State funding ($636 million)
Tuition ($410 million)

$370 million in annual federal funding

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Potential Impact (as of 3/13/25)

Overall Job Loss Scenarios	DOE Programs	Proposed NIH Indirect Cost Cap
Worst case: Up to 2,500 federally funded jobs lost out of 16,000 employees across UH 10 campuses: 1,300 federally funded jobs at risk RCUH: 1,200 federally funded jobs at risk Best case: 200–300 federally funded jobs lost across the system	Community college technical training programs and research initiatives—especially in Native Hawaiian serving programs—may be impacted More clarity expected next week	Biomedical research is at risk

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Current & Potential Impact

Stop Work and Termination Notices
Disruption to Essential Student Services
Criminal and Civil Penalties
Significant Reduction in New Awards

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Threats Outside of

Executive Orders

Insufficient Staffing of Federal Agencies
Refusal to Take Procedural Steps Necessary to Release Funds
Individualized Review of Grants & Contracts
Heavy Restrictions on and Limited Funding for Future Awards
Cuts to State Funding and Pass-Through Federal Dollars
Cuts to Student Financial Aid

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Predicting the Future:

The Scale of Recent Presidential Actions

	Today: Slashed nearly 2,000 jobs ($800M loss in federal funding)
	Yesterday: Reduced workforce from 4,133 to 2,183 employees (48% decrease)
	Workforce slashed from over 10,000 to just 294 employees (83% of all programs terminated in just six weeks)

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Predicting the Future:

The Scale of Recent Presidential Actions

	Lost $400 million in federal grants and contracts in single order with no notice
	More than $100 million dollars in funding paused for "openly disregarding" the federal order banning transgender athletes; restored days later after Senator intervened

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Important Issues for Our Community

Native Hawaiian Services and Programs
Immigration Enforcement
Academic Freedom within Programs and Coursework
Websites and Use of Language
Limiting Official Communication to President and Board Chair

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What We Stand For

Ensuring every member of our campus community feels valued, welcomed and included
Academic freedom in our teaching and programs
Anti-discrimination protections
Accessible education
Freedom of speech and upholding First Amendment rights within the context of time, place and manner
Kuleana to foster a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning
Campuses where all are welcomed—regardless of where you come from, who you are, what you believe, or whom you love

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Submit a question

https://go.hawaii.edu/pk8

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Federal Policy

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