In an email to faculty and staff on Tuesday, LSU Interim President Matt Lee called for them to “stay engaged” despite the complexity presented by the federal government shutdown. After Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress engaged in a standoff and ultimately failed to agree on a federal budget, the government went into a shutdown effective Wednesday. In his email, Lee noted that the shutdown may delay federal awards and reimbursements. Lee acknowledged that had already complicated how LSU employees were reporting for federal funding, and the shutdown furthered that difficulty. Lee’s message was optimistic and conveyed that he believed LSU would be able t0 weather the shutdown.