March 11, 2025

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Please allow me to bring two time-sensitive items to your attention.

First, you are probably aware of many changes taking place at the federal and state levels that directly impact the financial landscape of higher education. Budgetary pressures are compiling from all directions, whether it be from the federal level (reduction in federal grant funding), state level (freeze on institutional enhancement funding) or the judicial system (House settlement regarding NIL). What we know at this point is only overshadowed by what we do not know.

Capital Construction Projects

Given this uncertainty, I am pausing new capital construction projects, particularly the Centennial Campus Enhancement Project, for the next three months or until May 31. The projects that are funded by donors and/or by the legislature through capital construction funds will be exempt from this “pause.” Exemptions also include:

• The Campus Lighting and Security Enhancement Project
• Wilhelmina’s Grove Improvements
• The Hobby School of Public Affairs Academic Building
• Renovation of Agnes Arnold Hall.

Any project currently under construction will continue to proceed per the scheduled timeline. If you have any questions about any specific project, please contact Raymond Bartlett, Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance.

Safety & Security Update

Second, I would like to provide an update on our safety and security initiative. Since I wrote to you last, we have retained a nationally renowned security and risk management consulting firm to help us review our safety network and recommend ways to make it stronger. The firm specializes in university security and has worked with several large universities across the nation.

I have also established a seven-member ad hoc Presidential Advisory Task Force on Campus Safety to assist me and my cabinet in working with the consultant and developing future strategies. The task force members include:

• Holley Love, President, Faculty Senate
• Karl Hearne, President, Staff Council
• Diego Arriaga, President, Student Government Association
• Olga Botwinick, Student, Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine
• Todd Romero, Associate Professor, Department of History, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Dennis Reynolds, Dean, Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership
• Jeff Morgan, Associate Provost of Education Innovation and Technology, Office of the Provost

Now that the immediate response to the crisis has passed, I invite you to familiarize yourself with “The Facts About Safety on Campus”. Subsequently, I request that you provide your thoughts and solutions that could be shared with the consultant by sending them to Faculty Senate President Holley Love or Staff Council President Karl Hearne by March 23. Your input will be valuable as the consultants prepare for their campus visit in late March.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we continue to build a stronger, safer campus.

With warm regards,

Renu Khator