BUZZ
Higher education suffered a “brutal year,” according to Inside Higher Ed due to 9,000 total jobs being cut. For context, there are roughly 4 million people employed by colleges and universities, as of fall 2023, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
In some cases, Inside Higher Ed blamed President Donald Trump’s policies on funding research and limits on immigration.
The outlet reported:
Rising operating costs and an uncertain federal policy environment drove cuts at even the wealthiest institutions last year as universities with multibillion-dollar endowments shed hundreds of jobs after President Donald Trump restricted federal research funds, sought to limit international student enrollment and clashed with multiple universities over alleged civil rights infractions. While many of December’s job cuts were not attributable to Trump, others seemed directly connected, including the loss of hundreds of international students at DePaul University, which undercut tuition revenues, prompting layoffs.
DePaul, a Catholic university in Chicago, announced “staffing reductions” for the rest of the school year.
“In total, 114 of our 1,493 full-time and part-time staff concluded their service at DePaul last week on Friday, Dec. 12,” university officials wrote in a message to the campus community in mid-December. “The university is making every effort to provide these individuals with care, privacy, and support. We recognize the profound impact that their departures have on them and all of us.”
“International enrollment at DePaul plunged by 755 students compared to the previous fall, a decline of nearly 62 percent,” the news outlet reported, based on comments from the school.
Other cuts are planned due to the closure of programs, including multiple degrees at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, an issue covered several times by The College Fix.
Martin University, a small, underperforming college in Indianapolis, Ind., also announced it would close entirely.
A state representative previously accused Indiana Governor Mike Braun of being a “racist” for proposing cuts to the college.
Martin University’s graduation rate is only 33 percent. With tuition revenue coming in at around $2,000,000 per year, the state funding essentially meant full-ride scholarships for all students, The Fix previously reported.
Inside Higher Ed also cited layoffs at San Francisco State University, Boston University, and the College of Idaho.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia previously reported 80 colleges could close in the next five years.
Over the past eight years, more than 100 colleges have shut down, as reported by The College Fix.
MORE: Higher education’s anti-child agenda comes home to roost
