Princeton University plans to pause most hirings and institute other measures in a new effort to save money in light of the federal government revoking other schools’ funding for allegedly not protecting their Jewish students.
In a memo sent to the university community Wednesday, officials said they were taking a number of steps in the coming months to cut costs and restrain spending.
They include “avoiding staff growth” outside of “mission-critical circumstances,” postponing early-stage faculty searches and changing the annual employee merit increase pool to its pre-pandemic state.
However, a university spokeswoman said the new measures do not constitute a hiring freeze.
Beyond staffing, officials will also evaluate capital planning projects, reconsidering the scale and schedule of major university projects in the early stages, according to the memo.
“Like many institutions of U.S. higher education, Princeton University’s operating model relies on a longstanding compact with the federal government, which partners with universities and colleges to produce research, training, and education for the benefit of the country and society,” said university provost Jennifer Rexford and executive vice president Katie Callow-Wright.
“That model is under profound stress now, as the federal government re-evaluates and pares back its research funding priorities, considers expanding the endowment tax, and steps up scrutiny and restrictions on higher education,” they said in the memo.
University officials have been planning for the possibility of revoked federal funding, according to Rexford and Callow-Wright.
“Against this backdrop, University leadership has for several months been conducting contingency planning to help us protect our core mission of research, teaching, and service at a time of considerable uncertainty and risk,” they said.
Officials also warned more cost-cutting measures might be on the way, while urging all community members to participate in the effort.
“On that front, we need everyone’s help,” the memo said. “Please look for ways big and small to restrain non-critical spending, which will give us flexibility down the road.”
The Ivy League university in Mercer County is already one of 60 universities and colleges — including Rutgers University — under federal investigation for potential civil rights violations of Title VI. Federal education officials have warned the schools they must do more to protect Jewish students from harassment and discrimination, or face potential federal penalties.
The expected fiscal changes at Princeton come as President Donald Trump’s administration has already canceled one Ivy League university’s federal funding, accusing it of tolerating antisemitism on campus.
Earlier this month, the federal government announced it was canceling $400 million in grants and contracts to Columbia University, alleging the university had not complied with federal anti-discrimination laws amid the Israel-Hamas war.
Federal agencies also announced they were considering stop-work orders on $51 million in contracts with the New York City university and reviewing its eligibility for more than $5 billion in federal grants moving forward, according to the Associated Press.
In a recent piece for The Atlantic, Princeton University’s president denounced the Trump administration’s targeting of Columbia University and said the government can respond to “legitimate concerns” about antisemitism “without infringing on academic freedom.”
“The attack on Columbia is a radical threat to scholarly excellence and to America’s leadership in research,” wrote Christopher L. Eisgruber, the university’s president. “Universities and their leaders should speak up and litigate forcefully to protect their rights.
“The universities cannot, however, prevail alone.”
Stories by Brianna Kudisch
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Brianna Kudisch may be reached at bkudisch@njadvancemedia.com.