The College Fix

School leaders did not say which positions or how many were cut

Harvard University announced staffing cuts in its Kennedy School of Government on Wednesday in response to its on-going conflicts with the Trump administration, according to the student newspaper.

Dean Jeremy Weinstein broke the news in an email to the school’s employees, blaming the Trump administration’s funding cuts and its decision to revoke Harvard’s ability to admit international students, The Harvard Crimson reports.

Weinstein said the university already has instituted spending cuts and a hiring freeze, but “those efforts alone will not be enough to address our current financial challenges.”

“As a result, we need to lay off some members of our team and restructure other positions to ensure the long-term financial future of the Kennedy School,” he wrote.

School leaders did not say which positions – or how many – were cut, The Crimson reports:

A Harvard Kennedy School spokesperson declined to say how many staff had been laid off.

Weinstein wrote that the school began planning for budget cuts as early as February, but noted that the Trump administration’s actions have since brought on “unprecedented new headwinds.”

The dean cited not only the White House’s multibillion dollar cuts to Harvard’s research funding but two other looming budget threats — the loss of international students and the possibility of a substantial endowment tax hike. …

Weinstein announced two contingency plans on Tuesday — online course-work and a visiting program in Canada — to implement if a critical mass of students cannot enter the U.S.

Nearly three in four Kennedy School students came from outside the United States last year, according to the report.

The Harvard School of Public Health also announced layoffs in April, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences is considering similar staffing cuts, according to the report.

President Alan Garber also agreed to take a 25 percent pay cut in May, The College Fix previously reported.

Additionally, university leaders are preparing for a potential tax increase on its $53 billion endowment as Congress debates legislation that would increase the percentage from 1.4 to 8, the student newspaper reports.

The Trump administration cut Harvard’s federal funding earlier this year after university leaders refused to comply with directives regarding antisemitism and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In May, the Trump administration also revoked the university’s international student enrollment certification. The university is suing over both decisions.

At Harvard, there are 2,600 more administrators than undergraduate students, a 2023 College Fix analysis found. These include many non-teaching jobs focused on advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.

MORE: Harvard needs to reform. But Trump’s actions could destroy it, professor says.

IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: A gate opens onto the campus of Harvard University; Jan Yuan/Shutterstock

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