“Effective immediately, Harvard will implement a temporary pause on staff and faculty hiring across the University,” said President Alan M. Garber in a public statement Monday.
He cited “rapidly shifting federal policies” as the reason for the substantial financial uncertainties faced by universities throughout the U.S.
The hiring freeze, affecting faculty and staff, is intended to be a temporary measure, Garber said.
Harvard’s recruitment pause reflects broader challenges faced by universities as they navigate increasing skepticism from the Trump administration and the Republican Party, which threatens to take away the billions of dollars in federal funding they receive annually through programs like the National Institutes of Health.
Last week, the U.S. government canceled US$400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University, citing harassment of Jewish students since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023.
Harvard, the richest U.S. university with a $53 billion endowment, alone received approximately $700 million in federal funding during the past academic year.
Other prestigious institutions, including Stanford, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Cornell, have also announced hiring freezes, citing similar uncertainties over government funding.
Even before the threat of funding cuts, Harvard had signaled the need to reduce spending. Its latest financial report revealed a 9% increase in operating expenses, outpacing a 6% rise in operating revenue for the second consecutive year, Bloomberg reported.
Additionally, cash donations dropped by 15% to under $1.2 billion in the most recent fiscal year, amid growing alumni dissatisfaction with the university’s handling of anti-Israel protests.
While Harvard’s endowment saw a 9.6% return last fiscal year, its long-term performance has trailed behind peer institutions.
Harvard is also among 60 institutions under federal investigation for “anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination.”
On March 5, these schools received warning letters from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, reminding them of their legal obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students and warning of potential enforcement actions for non-compliance.
In his statement, Garber emphasized the need to prepare for uncertain financial conditions.
“It is therefore critical to avoid significant new long-term commitments that could increase financial exposure and make future adjustments more disruptive.”
