The Staff Council sought clarity on the University’s new promotion and hiring approval process in a statement Thursday, writing that staff members are “deeply concerned” about the announcement’s implications.
Officials announced in an email to faculty and staff late last month that GW is adding a “position management review process” to the promotions and hiring process through at least fiscal year 2025 to preserve the University’s “limited” resources as officials brace for potential hits to the University budget from recent executive actions. In response, the council requested that officials clarify what factors they will use to determine if reviews will be approved or delayed and asked them to commit to evaluating “all areas” of GW when attempting to cut costs, including “administrative salaries” and “discretionary spending.”
Officials distributed instructions and communications to each vice president and dean regarding the new position review process to distribute to their staff, according to the council statement. The process involves a review of new positions, backfills, position changes, reclassifications and student hires and will include the approval of a unit or school leader, as well as a review by Chief Financial Officer Bruno Fernandes, Provost Chris Bracey and Chief of Staff Scott Mory.
“Staff have a deep emotional contract with the University, built on dedication and trust, and we ask that all decisions affecting their livelihood be made with great care and compassion,” the council wrote in its statement.
The council wrote that officials indicated the University is in a strong financial position in their announcement of the position management review, but President Donald Trump’s recent attempt to pause research funding and the Department of Education’s threat to pull funding from any academic institution that considers race in its operations has prompted officials to start taking proactive steps to prevent layoffs.
The council wrote that the announcement left many staff members feeling anxious because officials sent it late Friday afternoon, meaning staff had the weekend to ruminate on how the policy change might affect them. The statement also raised concern about the email appearing to mirror language from messages the University sent to faculty and staff during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when officials temporarily froze hiring.
“The vague language in the email raised alarms about potential job cuts, especially given the University’s past handling of layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic and the layoffs in the federal government that significantly affect many of our staff,” the council’s Thursday statement reads.
Officials said in March 2020 that the University was in a “strong financial position” but that officials were suspending all hiring to ensure GW had enough funding to maintain daily operations as COVID-19 cases rose.
Officials in last week’s email said GW’s financial position “remains strong” but that officials must take steps to “anticipate difficulties” that lie ahead and avoid “significant disruptions” to the community and GW’s stability. Officials also said in the email that the added review process was not a hiring freeze.
In its statement, the council requested that officials distribute communications and processes affecting all staff at the University level instead of depending on “trickle-down communication” to schools and divisions. Staff councilmembers asked how officials will evaluate positions as “critical,” as well as the measures they are considering beyond “targeting staff positions.”
They requested that officials work with council representatives, managers and departments to form a plan to address increased workloads due to unfilled positions, including potential restructuring, removal of services provided and additional compensation for added responsibilities. The council reported in August that staff were feeling burnout due to heavy workloads and inadequate job training.
“We ask that the University approach future budgetary and staff considerations with care and understanding that staff are already facing burnout due to years of being short staffed and with understanding that the student experience is directly tied to our ability to serve students well,” they wrote.
The council also invited University leaders to an upcoming council meeting to further discuss the University’s financial concerns and also asked officials to host a town hall with the council, so staff can speak directly with administrators. The council will meet next on March 18 at 11 a.m. on Zoom.
University spokesperson Shannon McClendon said Trump’s recent executive orders, related guidance and memos fostered an “uncertain environment,” which prompted the University to add the step of position management review. She said GW is “extremely proud” of the talented leaders, staff and faculty who propel the University’s mission and values.
McClendon said officials “provided guidance” to finance directors and human resources officials to ensure that hirings proceed in a timely manner and to retain community members critical to advancing the University. McClendon declined to comment on what specific financial concerns led to officials’ decision.
“It is important for the University to take steps now to anticipate any potential financial difficulties in the road ahead,” McClendon said. “This includes evaluating and monitoring of financial benchmarks to determine any changes to our approach and support for our community.”
A University spokesperson said officials notified GW’s Leader Forum — which includes leaders from both the academic and administrative members of the University — in advance of the hiring and promotions review announcement. One of GW’s 12 peer schools, Boston University, began requiring approval before hiring full, part-time and temporary employees earlier this month.
Staff Council Staff Development & Recognition Chair Allene David said staff understand recent government actions have caused uncertainty for many industries, including higher education, but many wished officials had opened lines of communication with staff to discuss the changes.
She said staff would be concerned about hiring and promotion changes regardless of how they received the information but would rather be “anxious” but informed than face a “lack of transparency.”
David said the council learned of the review process through the same email as all other community members. She said Chief People Officer Sabrina Minor alerted the council that an announcement was coming, but she didn’t share a timeline or details. Many staff were “surprised” and upset that officials sent out the email at 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon, leaving them with concerns about their job security for two days, she said.
David said given the University’s location in D.C., many staff are very aware of Trump and Elon Musk’s purge of America’s federal bureaucracy, which has resulted in thousands of federal workers losing their jobs — notices that many received via email. She said she hoped the messaging would be different at GW.
“Because of what we are seeing happening in the federal government, I just feel like our administration should say, ‘I don’t want my people to feel like that, let’s communicate this differently,’” David said.
Dwayne Wright, an assistant professor of higher education administration and the director of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, said he’s heard from faculty and staff that they’re uncertain about whether officials will deny or delay promotions due to Trump’s executive orders.
He said GW should be praised for publishing the communication, since the University could have been “less transparent” by, for instance, telling the deans to tell their schools individually instead of sending out a statement. He said adding new forms of regular University communication, like town halls, could curb the “chaos and confusion” stemming from the federal government.
“They could have just done a hiring freeze that would have been more typical and probably would have been less opaque,” Wright said.
Staff Council Correspondence & Engagement Secretary Rhonda Fox encouraged officials to host a town hall to allow staff to ask questions and share the concerns about the new review process.
“Having that could have gone a long way in alleviating the anxiety that staff are feeling,” Fox said.
Faculty senator Masha Belenky, who also sits on the Faculty Senate’s Appointments, Salary and Promotion Policies Committee, said members did not receive a warning from officials at the February senate meeting or a Columbian College of Arts & Sciences meeting with top GW leadership on Friday that ended 45 minutes before officials sent the email.
She said she’s heard confusion from some faculty members on if the new promotion review process was relevant to faculty and staff or just staff.
“There also seems to be quite a bit of confusion regarding what the new policy means,” Belenky said in an email.
Hannah Marr contributed reporting.
