UW braces for federal policy changes with hiring freeze, cutbacks

The University of Washington (UW) is freezing its non-essential staff hiring and limiting future faculty hiring in preparation for incoming federal policy changes in addition to Washington’s budget shortfall.

“Despite a good financial position, unprecedented and rapid policy changes at the federal level have increased the risk of funding cuts that threaten the University’s financial stability,” UW Provost Tricia Serio wrote in an address. “At the state level, a significant budget shortfall is leading our legislature to grapple with a range of measures including budget cuts and furloughs … These risks together have the potential to jeopardize the full scope of our work, including existing and new research projects, patient care, instruction, and basic operations.”

Related on MyNorthwest: UW settles pandemic tuition lawsuit for $4 million

In addition to halting hiring additional staff, UW is planning on canceling non-essential travel and training, trimming its food purchases and other discretionary spending, and retiring non-essential external service contracts.

“I recognize that the ups and downs of public funding – and the uncertainty of this moment, in particular – prompt stress, worry, and anxiety,” Serio continued. “By using this time to proactively save our resources and thoughtfully plan, we will be better prepared to manage any future funding cuts to protect our mission for the public good. While it won’t be easy, working together with a common purpose and supporting one another is the path to overcoming adversity, as we proved five years ago.”

Serio cited that UW was close to shutting down temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic, but held off any closures through the “heroic work” of its faculty, staff, and student workers.

UW’s Together We Thrive program

A program UW is hoping will help ease these cutbacks is its recently launched Together We Thrive program, which will create ways to align expenses and revenue while still finding ways for departments and other programs to grow.

More on MyNorthwest: Parents speak out after middle school student killed by runaway car

“We are advocating for the UW by communicating the importance of our work for a thriving and secure future, including keeping the economy strong and the population healthy for our communities, the state of Washington, the nation, and the world,” Serio said. “At the same time, we must also do our part to protect our future in the face of these unknowns.”

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest and producer of the Seattle Seahawks podcast, The Reset with Gee Scott. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.