Dear Students and Colleagues, 

The challenges of the higher education landscape in the United States continue to unfold in front of us. Each week, we are witnessing universities across the country attempting to navigate this volatile environment through a myriad of approaches. Temple is not immune to these challenges. As I shared earlier this month during my investiture address, Temple’s mission has been—and always will be—to open doors and minds to worlds of discovery and opportunity; to be an inclusive community where all are welcome; and to provide students of all backgrounds with affordable pathways to an excellent, life-changing educational experience. We will continue to be guided by that mission as we address the recent directives and federal orders. 

The following are updates on a few key areas. 

International student visas 

Earlier this month, I shared that a Temple student had their student visa revoked at the discretion of the United States Secretary of State. That student chose to return home and has arrived safely in their home country. 

Over the last week, the visas of several additional current and former Temple students were revoked by the United States Secretary of State. Temple’s Office of Global Engagement has been in regular contact with these individuals, who are presently consulting with their attorneys to determine their next steps. Out of respect for their privacy, we will not provide additional details on individual situations.   

I know that the news of these revocations is unsettling not just for the impacted individuals but for our entire community. The Office of Global Engagement is closely monitoring the situation. We deeply value all international members of our community, and we are committed to doing all we lawfully can to assist in circumstances like this. 

As a reminder, there have been no reports of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers being on campus. And, as we have previously shared, we have an established protocol for working with ICE and CBP agents. 

Update on research funding 

Last week, an announcement was disseminated to all employees that outlined the budgetary measures the university is taking as we plan for next fiscal year, which are in part due to the unknown impact of federal actions relating to research funding. To date, the university has received 14 stop-work orders or termination notices for federal grants, most of which have come from the Department of Health and Human Services. The financial consequence of the loss of these grants is approximately $3 million. 

This weekend, it was reported that the Department of Energy has reduced indirect cost reimbursement rates to 15% for all its grants. This unilateral reduction, if it remains in place, will also adversely impact the university’s research enterprise. 

The Office of the Vice President for Research continues to track these developments and analyze additional potential impacts for Temple’s research enterprise. I will continue to keep you informed as this situation develops. Temple is Philadelphia’s public research university, and the consequences of canceling life-changing research like this are dire. We will continue to advocate aggressively with federal and state officials on behalf of our research community and we are committed to looking for ways to preserve impacted positions should funding be eliminated. 

Training related to Office of Civil Rights voluntary resolution agreement 

Beginning this week, we will be launching a new training course for all students, faculty and staff. The training is one of the new initiatives to come out of the voluntary resolution agreement that Temple reached with the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education in November 2024. It addresses discrimination based on race, color and national origin, including harassment based on shared ancestry and ethnic characteristics.  

The training, which all students, faculty and staff must complete, includes an explanation of the university’s policies that address this type of discrimination, examples of types of conduct that are prohibited under our policy, and explains how to access the Preventing and Addressing Discrimination and Harassment policy. More details, including how you can complete the training, will be shared this week. 

Review of policies and practices 

Finally, as I have also shared over the last few months, we have been carefully reviewing the recent guidance from the Department of Education, seeking the counsel of both internal and external partners to confirm that our policies and practices comply with applicable law. As part of this review, they have identified several areas where adjustments are needed to processes or descriptive language to better reflect a more accurate representation of our work and ensure we are in compliance with the law. We are working with the respective units to thoughtfully implement these initial recommendations and assess any future modifications.  

None of this is easy. During my investiture ceremony, I emphasized that Temple is well-equipped to rise to all the challenges in this ever-changing landscape of higher education. This university’s mission of access and excellence will never change. Whatever your race, religion, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation or background, you have a place here at Temple. We will never waver from that. Temple is stronger because of who you are, and what you bring to our university community. 

As has been the case, I will continue to communicate with you regularly. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding during this time of uncertainty. 

Sincerely, 

John Fry 
President