Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, says it is cutting 425 positions as it deals with a $790 million federal funding freeze from the Trump administration.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that nearly half of the affected positions are vacant; the exact number of layoffs was unclear.
In an email, university president Michael Schill said the school would reduce its staffing budget by about 5%, which included the layoffs.
Jon Yates, a Northwestern spokesperson, said the university has taken several measures to address mounting financial pressures. The measures include changes to employee health insurance, imposing a hiring freeze, cutting non-personnel expenses by 10% and forgoing annual pay raises.
In his email, Schill cited several factors affecting the university's finances, including “rapidly rising healthcare expenses, litigation, labor contracts, employee benefits, compliance requirements” along with a host of federal measures like constraints on enrolling international students and reductions in research facilities and administration reimbursements.
Northwestern is hoping its frozen federal research funding will be restored soon. It was among a list of universities targeted for cuts by the Trump administration.
