Listen Here
By Erin Moran
morane@findlay.edu
The University of Findlay is keeping a watchful eye on the lingering consequences of the federal government shutdown, even after the passing of a bipartisan spending bill to temporarily reopen the government.
The U.S. Senate passed the short-term bill on Nov. 10 to resume government funding until the end of January. It was sent to the House of Representatives and passed to the President on Nov. 12.
President Donald Trump signed the legislation that same evening, officially reopening the government after 43 days, the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
Despite the large implications of the shutdown, the University of Findlay has maintained operations and has not been significantly affected thus far.
“Currently, the government shutdown has not caused any direct adverse effects to the University,” Vice President of Student Affairs Brandi Laurita wrote in an email.
Kathy Patton, director of graduate and international admissions, shared over email that her office has experienced minimal impact.
“Many of the visa and immigration processes are fee-funded. This has meant that they are less likely to be stopped entirely during a shutdown,” wrote Patton.
“Delays can happen as there are some related functions that are impacted, such as the E-Verify and Department of Labor services and filings,” wrote Patton. “Staffing shortages during the shutdown can also cause further delays.”
“Response times were pretty slow, but luckily we didn’t really have anything major, as student funding was classified as more of an essential function, so we were still able to draw down funds,” said Brianna Griffet, director of financial aid at UF.
One of the largest indirect issues that is affecting students is the flight cancellations and delays. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered domestic airlines to increasingly drop percentages of their flights as employee absences and stress of traffic controllers have gone up during the shutdown due to a break in finances. On Nov. 7 flights were cancelled by 4% across 40 major airports and increased to 6% on Nov. 11. The plan was to have 10% cut by Nov. 14 but was kept at 6% due to the reopening of the government.
Even with the bill passed to end the shutdown, air traffic could take a while to return to normal, as the FAA is still short about 2,000 air traffic controllers. Cincinnati and Detroit, two airports UF students commonly fly out of, are said to be highly impacted by the reductions.
“Many international students travel home for the holidays. Flight disruptions could interfere with those plans,” wrote Patton.
“The Buford Center is already considering alternative flights for Oilers Serving Abroad in the event of travel disruptions,” wrote Laurita.
“If students’ travel plans are impacted by the government shutdown or any other hardship, housing is always willing to accommodate extended stays,” wrote Laurita. “Students simply need to communicate with the Office of Housing and Residence Life to follow the proper procedures, ensuring adequate staffing and safety for all residents on campus.”
Various offices on campus have plans and resources for students according to Laurita.
“(As) the federal shutdown, even if it has not directly impacted students, has created a sense of uncertainty and added an element of stress to an already demanding collegiate experience,” wrote Laurita.
“The business office is willing to work with students experiencing hardship through flexible payment plans,” wrote Laurita. “The Buford Center offers resources such as the food pantry, Swipe Out Hunger, and various other means of assistance to support any student in need.”
“As with any event that impacts students, the counseling center is prepared and willing to accommodate their needs,” wrote Laurita. “The University also offers TimelyCare, providing on-demand counseling services available at any time and from any location.”
Now that the government has been reopened, agencies are working towards processing the delays they experienced and restoring services, staff, and payments, which can be lengthy.
“Taking care of students is of the utmost priority of the University,” wrote Laurita. “The Office of Student Affairs will communicate [information] to the campus via UF Update.”
“We encourage students to monitor their emails and share any personal concerns with the Oiler Success Center,” wrote Laurita.
With the potential of education to be affected later in the school year due to the lack of a long-term spending plan and new changes in the legislation, Griffey advised students to watch their emails and Workday for financial aid information.
“Checking email consistently and then checking your Workday account are going to be the two main ways that we’re going to communicate if something’s going on,” said Griffey.
Six Democrats joined Republicans in the House of Representatives to pass the temporary spending bill to end the record-long shutdown. The spending bill is highly controversial, as the bill doesn’t include an extension of subsidies in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), otherwise known as Obamacare, one of the main issues the Democrats were fighting for.
The bill funds the Department of Agriculture, the FDA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, military construction projects, and the operations of Congress for the full fiscal year. It leaves all other agencies at risk of another stoppage, as they are only funded through Jan. 30.
