GW Weekly Federal Update (April 17)

Community Question

This was the most frequently received question this past week:

Q: I’m very concerned for my international student friends. What can GW do to make sure our students are safe?

A: We recognize the fear and concern some are experiencing due to recent developments impacting international community members on campuses across the country and at GW. The International Services Office is committed to continuing to provide comprehensive resources and support for international students, faculty and staff at GW. ISO has communicated about these resources and continues to update its website with additional information to assist affected individuals, some of which is also summarized below.

We encourage any international students, faculty or staff to contact ISO if they have questions or need support. If you are aware of someone in need of help, please encourage them to contact ISO.

GW Updates

• This week, the International Services Office shared additional guidance, highlighting tips on individuals’ digital footprints and searches at the border for those who are traveling.
  
  All international travelers are facing added scrutiny, from immigration restrictions to enhanced screening procedures, for U.S.-bound flights. GW travelers should be aware that government authorities may ask individuals to provide access to phones, tablets, laptops, and other electronic devices, as well as social media profiles, e-mail and similar accounts when entering or exiting a country, including the U.S. More information and advice for these situations as well as other resources are available on the ISO website.

Federal Updates

• On April 11, the Trump Administration sent Harvard a letter accusing it of violating federal civil rights laws and requiring it to agree to a broad array of “reforms,” including in governance and leadership, hiring, admissions (including international admissions), viewpoint diversity in admissions and student discipline, as well as to discontinue all DEI programs and initiatives, irrespective of whether they are lawful.
  
  Harvard responded on April 14 that while it “remains open to dialogue about what the university has done, and is planning to do, to improve the experience of every member of its community . . . [it] is not prepared to agree to demands that go beyond the lawful authority of this or any administration.”  Harvard’s president also explained the university’s position in a message to its community. 
  
  In response, the Administration announced that it was freezing approximately $2.2 billion in federal funds issued to Harvard. President Trump threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax exempt status in a social media post on April 15, and media reports indicate the Internal Revenue Service is considering such an action.
  
  Further, on April 16, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it had canceled $2.7 million in grants to Harvard, and demanded that Harvard provide “detailed records on Harvard’s foreign student visa holders’ illegal and violent activities by April 30, 2025, or face immediate loss of Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification.” 
   
• On April 16, the Justice Department announced at a press conference that it has filed a lawsuit against the state of Maine alleging that the state is violating Title IX by allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls’ and women’s sports. In a statement issued later that day, Maine Governor Janet Mills said: “This is not just about who can compete on the athletic field, this is about whether a President can force compliance with his will, without regard for the rule of law that governs our nation. I believe he cannot.”
   
• On April 11, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced a 15 percent cap on indirect cost rates. A coalition of higher education organizations and AAU member institutions filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts seeking to halt the proposed cut. On April 16, the District Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order pending a hearing to be held on April 28. At this time, GW investigators should continue to utilize the university's federally-negotiated indirect cost rates on existing awards and in proposals. Immediately forward any notices or other communications from DOE and other federal agencies to the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) at osrgwu [dot] edu. OSP will provide guidance and responses as required.
   
• According to media reports, the Trump Administration is considering requiring Columbia University to enter into a judicially approved and enforced consent decree as a condition to restoring federal funds. In an April 14 message to the Columbia University community, Columbia’s president, alluding to that possibility, stated that Columbia “would reject heavy-handed orchestration from the government that could potentially damage our institution and undermine useful reforms that serve the best interests of our students and community…, reject any agreement in which the government dictates what we teach, research, or who we hire…, and reject any agreement that would require us to relinquish our independence and autonomy as an educational institution.”
   
• According to media reports, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) took control of the “grants.gov” website that universities and other organizations use to find out about and apply for federal grant opportunities, which may lead to DOGE increasing its involvement in day-to-day government functioning around grants.
   
• On April 15, President Trump signed an Executive Order, “Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement” to “create the most agile, effective and efficient procurement system possible.” The EO’s intent is to remove “undue barriers, such as unnecessary regulations” and to limit provisions in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) only to those “required by statute or essential to efficient, secure and cost-effective procurement.” A fact sheet is available here.
   
• According to media reports, DOGE has attempted to place members of its team in at least one independent nonprofit entity that receives some federal funds.  According to a statement issued by the Vera Institute of Justice—the nonprofit at issue—they were informed by DOGE that its plan to assign a DOGE team there was part of DOGE’s larger plan to assign DOGE teams to “every institute or agency that has congressional monies appropriated to it.”
   
• On April 7, the American Library Association among others filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against various federal agencies and officials seeking declaratory and injunctive relief in response to alleged actions by the Administration to dismantle the Institute for Museum Library Services, a federal agency that supports the nation’s libraries.
   
• On April 4, 21 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, against various federal agencies and officials challenging an Executive Order that directed the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Minority Business Development Agency, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services and four other federal agencies to eliminate every one of their programs and components not mandated by statute and to reduce their statutorily mandated functions and associated staff to the minimum required by law.
   
• On April 4, the Association for Education Finance and Policy among others filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the Secretary of Education alleging that the decision to terminate the Institute of Education Sciences impedes association members’ ability to continue to work.  The institute, established by Congress in 2002, “produce[s] and disseminate[s] high quality education research statistics, and analyses that provide parents, educators, students, researchers, policymakers and the general public valuable information about education in America.”

Resources and Reminders

About this Newsletter

To ensure that students, faculty and staff feel supported and informed about how federal developments affect higher education and GW, the university launched a weekly Federal Update. This newsletter shares timely information, addresses questions and provides resources.