NC State has implemented an immediate hiring freeze on faculty and staff positions due to uncertainty surrounding the federal budget, according to a memo sent to University leaders Friday.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Warwick Arden announced a pause on “all hiring activities” for faculty and staff positions across colleges and senior vice provost units. The freeze will remain in effect “until further notice,” with exceptions considered on a “case-by-case basis.”
“Given the uncertain impacts of the presidential administration’s Executive Orders and guidance, the potential shut down of the federal government on March 14 and financial challenges that the state government is dealing with, leadership is becoming increasingly concerned with our budgets over the next year or two,” Arden wrote in the memo. Consequently, I am taking two immediate actions.”
The hiring freeze does not apply to student workers, graduate student appointments or part-time and temporary employees.
WRAL reported that a UNC System spokesperson said NC State made the hiring freeze on its own accord. He said he was not aware of any other universities making similar decisions on hiring.
In addition to the hiring freeze, NC State is temporarily suspending the Facilities and Administrative carryforward cap for all colleges and senior vice provost units for the 2025 fiscal year. The carryforward cap is a limit on the amount of funds that can be carried over from one fiscal year to the next.
The suspension means the University will not reclaim excess Facilities and Administrative funds above the usual carryforward limit. Arden instructed colleges and units to conserve these previously capped funds to potentially “support faculty, students and staff who are negatively impacted by the loss of grant funding.”
To utilize these funds, deans and senior vice provosts must submit exception requests detailing their spending plans and justifying the need for using the carryforward funds.
NC State employs nearly 10,000 people. Arden said he encourages University leaders “to be conservative in the use of all your funds given the challenging financial climate we currently find ourselves in.”
“Thank you for your cooperation in these difficult times,” Arden wrote.
