In multiple investigations by the Trump administration, the USC announced a series of cuts – including hiring frozen workers as it encloses as it boasts about what it calls “federal funding uncertainty” A letter posted on Monday.
According to the university leaders (including outward President Carol Folt.
The USC operation took place during a time when the Trump administration threatened universities unprecedentedly. It vowed to cut federal funding (including important medical and scientific research grants) to institutions that do not comply with the directive. Trump has ordered campus squeezes anti-Semitism. Eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs; and prohibit trans athletes from participating in women’s sports.
“Recent developments require us to take more steps to increase financial uncertainty, receiving approximately $570 million in research funding in fiscal 2024. “Bold actions now will help us address the challenges we face while providing our generations with an important academic and research mission.” ”
The belt-tight plan takes effect immediately, months after the internal financial planning task force Said in November USC’s $158 million budget deficit requires various “cost containment measures.”
The Trump administration announced that USC faces investigations from the Justice Department and the Office of Civil Rights on allegations of anti-Semitism and will be visited by the federal anti-Semitism task force. The review stems in large part from allegations of pro-Palestinian protests last spring and the camps cleared by police officers who arrested some of the protesters.
The university has made substantial changes: February, USC Deleted the website In order to scope the Office of Inclusion and Diversity and merge it into another action, several university and department-level DEI statements were scrubbed, renamed to faculty positions, and in one case deleted scholarships for online references to black and Indigenous students. Last spring, it imposed restrictions on campus protests.
The University of California is not alone in developing cost-cutting plans amid the threat of losing research funds. Earlier this month, the University of California – also under investigation by the Trump administration, which accused its campus of anti-Semitism – Announced recruitment freeze and other measures. Dozens of universities Investigation is under investigation The U.S. Department of Education has been subject to alleged anti-Semitism or racial discrimination.
Several USC faculty and staff said they have been preparing for Monday’s announcement given Trump’s recent actions.
“Frankly, there have been a lot of reasons to bother USC over the past 15 years, but that’s not one of them,” said Darby Saxbe, a psychology professor. “I think everyone recognizes that this is universal for research.” [universities] nationwide. The Trump administration has acted in such hostile and capricious. …There are too much malice. ”
Sanjay Madhav, associate professor of practice at USC Viterbi Engineering School, said he was most concerned about the recruitment freeze and how it could upend long-term plans and projects across the university, such as Ambitious computing plan This is the interview stage for the teacher position.
“We have… candidates planned to fly in the next few weeks,” he said. “We may interview all of these candidates and may provide jobs for them.”
But Madav, who participated Union organization efforts For the non-tenured track professor, he regrets him and other teachers in similar positions, “There are no seats on the table and we have no opinions on the decisions we have made.”
USC declined to comment, referring to the New York Times on Monday Letters and the Financial Plan Memorandum in November.
Trump – Opposes to college “Marxism” diversity administrator and “Radical Left” Approver – Take quick action to reshape a university landscape that is often said to have the best country Higher Education System In the world.
Among other actions, the government’s National Institutes of Health issued a rule in February that cut funding related to medical research, which the university says is integral to its operations and scientific discoveries. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction earlier this month, putting aside cuts.
Sax said Folt and others’ letters were the subject of discussions discussed with colleagues, who expressed “confusion” on how to implement certain cuts and how far they could go.
“We’re just in this confusing landscape,” she said. “We don’t know how far we’re going to tighten the belt or how long it lasts because there’s too much uncertainty.”
