PITTSBURGH — The University of Pittsburgh told its staff Monday that a hiring freeze for faculty and staff was a proactive move to strengthen Pitt’s financial outlook in uncertain times.
The University of Pittsburgh’s senior leadership sent a memo to its faculty and staff Monday. In the communication, leaders first addressed current uncertainties with federal funding cuts, saying, “the last several weeks have created a lot of unknowns for our shared work.”
The letter says the University has implemented a faculty and staff hiring freeze through June and said it’s possible the freeze could extend into the next fiscal year. Also, all University Responsibility Centers are being asked to cut back on nonessential travel and discretionary supplies as well as reviewing purchases over $25,000.
Weeks ago, Pitt temporarily paused Ph.D. Admissions as it balanced the impact of federal funding cuts and freezes. Pitt is one of the top 10 research universities in the country. And they’re not the only ones making changes. The University of Pennsylvania said it, too, would freeze hiring and review its capital spending.
A Pitt spokesperson acknowledged the anxiety and uncertainly the last several weeks have caused for the Pitt Community as it charts a path forward.
“The University does not take these actions lightly but, as a leading R1 research institution, we must strategically manage a range of financial pressures, including the evolving research funding landscape, inflationary costs, and the need to sustain our commitments to academic and research excellence,” Pitt spokesman Jared Stonesifer said.
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