More Schools Impose Hiring Freezes

Thanks to the economy, more than a dozen schools and programs, including two Ivy League schools and a prominent medical center, have instituted hiring freezes.

Cornell won't hire new faculty members from outside the university through March and has halted all new construction for at least 90 days. At Brown, the president announced a freeze for staff and administrative positions through January, while faculty positions will be "carefully reviewed." Both schools have suffered from flagging endowments, the retreat of prominent donors, and increased demand for financial aid.

The University of Michigan Health System, which has a $1.5 billion budget, this week announced a hiring freeze on any employees outside patient care positions, which means the communications, information technology, and finance departments will likely be first to feel the pain. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and physician assistants would not be affected.

Student jobs are safe at Temple University, but the same can't be said for the rest of university workers, and the situation is similar at Miami University and the University of Washington, which are battling $5 million and $10 million state budget cuts, respectively.

At the University of Maryland, student services such as the health and counseling centers, are in the midst of a hiring freeze, and the University of Nevada - Las Vegas has ceased hiring and reduced hours at its student health center.

Other schools that have ceased hiring include Bowling Green State University, Middlebury College, and the University of New Mexico, which announced a "strategic spending pause."