Georgetown University staff members have publicly denounced the university’s ongoing hiring freeze and budget constraints, measures implemented in response to federal cuts to higher education. In an open letter addressed to university administrators, 179 faculty, staff, students, and community members— as of December 23— petitioned the university to avoid targeting staff members’ salaries and benefits amid budget cuts.
Interim President Robert Groves announced at a December 9 town hall meeting that the university’s financial restrictions, which were first implemented in April, will be extended. The letter highlights a key concern for employees living in Washington, D.C.: the removal and reduction of their benefits for financial gain. Cited issues include the hiring freeze, reductions in staff personal time off (PTO), and the pausing of merit pay increases that began last spring.
“Over the past year alone, the administration has paused merit increases, imposed a sweeping hiring freeze, and gutted the staff PTO policy— all measures that have eroded the very supports that once made it possible for employees to build sustainable lives in the D.C. area,” the letter states. It continues, “The continued reliance on these measures reveals a striking lack of concern for the morale and economic survival of the 700+ staff who keep the university running and undermines the essential contributions that we make to the university.”
At the same December 9 meeting, Groves shared that for Fiscal Year 2026, the university currently estimates a net loss ranging between $15 million and $36 million. With additional savings measures, that estimate shifts to a potential loss of $33 million up to a possible surplus of $9 million.
In response, the letter insists that the university stop targeting employee compensation in its budgetary plans. It also calls for increased compensation for employees who have taken on greater responsibilities following staff reductions.
“We therefore demand integrity, true transparency, and fairness from university leadership, beginning with the end to the practice of using employee salaries and benefits as funding sources,” the letter reads. “We also call for a concrete plan to align compensation with the cost of living in Washington, D.C.; to ensure that employees who assume additional duties receive fair and appropriate compensation for that expanded labor; and to include staff in all decisions that shape their working conditions.”
The letter argues that Georgetown’s core values— a key motivator for remaining staff— must be reflected in the university’s responses to federal budget cuts.
“Despite these troubling actions, staff, many of whom are alumni or parents of students or alumni, choose to continue to work at Georgetown because we believe in its mission of ‘commitment to justice and the common good,’” it reads. “At a moment when many organizations have abandoned these values, Georgetown should be modeling what an ethical, just institution looks like, not undermining the very people who sustain it.”
https://thehoya.com/news/gu-staff-urge-financial-accountability-condemn-budgeting-measures/