Emory University is implementing an immediate staff hiring freeze, cutting operating expenditures, halting compensation adjustments and restricting new faculty hires. University President Gregory Fenves announced the changes in an email to the campus community this morning amid uncertainty about the future of higher education in the United States. This follows a flurry of recent federal government directives.
The hiring freeze and other changes are intended to “reduce expenditures and create financial capacity” as Emory faces possible funding cuts in the future, Fenves added.
“With potential changes in university funding looming, Emory must take prudent measures to prepare for what may be a significant disruption to our finances,” Fenves wrote. “In addition to the ongoing impacts to research, we are tracking proposed regulations and legislation that could significantly affect other revenue sources, including a possible increase in the federal tax on university endowments.”
Fenves wrote that Emory’s academic deans and unit leaders will provide details and updates on how the University will carry out these changes.
Starting last month, peer institutions began implementing similar measures. Columbia University’s (N.Y.) Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons froze hiring and spending, and Northwestern University (Ill.) cut non-personnel expenses for this fiscal year by 10% and is reviewing the necessity of open positions.
Fenves also emphasized the importance of academic freedom, diversity and inclusivity to the Emory community and the University’s mission.
“We will continue to make the case for inclusivity and the many ways it supports excellence at Emory,” Fenves wrote.
Fenves urged Emory community members to show compassion to each other during these unpredictable times.
“Recognize that each person at Emory is experiencing these changes differently and that grace and understanding are a responsibility we share,” Fenves wrote. “Above all, know that your work here is vitally important. You teach, you heal, you learn, you guide, you discover, and you innovate — all in service to humanity.”
Lauren Yee (she/her) (24Ox, 27C) is a news editor at The Emory Wheel. She is from Hong Kong, majoring in religion and minoring in German. Outside of the Wheel, Yee is the president of the Hong Kong Student Association. In her free time, you can find her playing the saxophone, watching musicals, listening to Taylor Swift or enjoying an iced oat milk chai!
