Updated: August 4, 2025, at 10:23 a.m.
Officials hired a controversial consulting firm that has recommended layoffs at several universities to “conduct assessments of select administrative divisions,” a University spokesperson confirmed.
University spokesperson Shannon McClendon said officials retained Huron Consulting with the goal of improving “overall efficiency and effectiveness” in alignment with the University’s strategic framework, set to launch this fall. Several universities have hired Huron in recent years to help them combat budget shortfalls — a challenge GW is facing as officials cut administrative and academic budgets for fiscal year 2026 — though McClendon said the firm’s efforts aren’t related to the FY26 planning process.
“GW has engaged Huron to assess different parts of the administration to identify opportunities to improve operations and various administrative processes,” McClendon said in an email. “Huron has not been asked to make recommendations regarding potential reductions in force.”
Huron in 2020 recommended layoffs at The New School — which laid off 122 employees to combat a projected budget shortfall five months after officials hired the firm — and The University of New Hampshire, which announced likely layoffs in accordance with the financial review Huron completed for $600,000 and later laid off 35 employees. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences also announced plans to lay off 51 employees in 2023 after it hired Huron to address a budget shortfall.
American University retained Huron in December 2023 to launch a strategic workforce assessment as part of its seven-year strategic plan, where faculty and staff expressed concern over the firm’s hiring due to the group’s reputation. American University laid off around 40 employees in June 2025, though it’s unclear whether the university was still working with Huron at the time of the layoffs.
McClendon declined to comment on how the University plans to address potential concerns from faculty and staff about the firm’s previous layoff recommendations.
Officials announced late last month they are suspending hiring and will likely lay off staff and faculty as they cut administrative and academic budgets for FY2026 to address financial challenges worsened by a yearslong structural deficit and federal attacks on higher education.
Huron is an expert in several industries, including higher education, and partners with universities that “continue to be faced” with strategic, financial and operational challenges and opportunities, according to its website. The firm offers various services in higher education, including strategy and innovation, organizational transformation, finance and business operations and advancement and alumni engagement.
McClendon declined to comment on when the University decided to hire Huron and how much officials are paying the firm for its services.
McClendon said Huron will engage community stakeholders through surveys and interviews to develop recommendations to the University, but did not provide a timeline for the process. She said University leaders will “carefully review” Huron’s recommendations to determine how officials should evaluate and implement the recommendations.
McClendon said officials hired Huron for its expertise in higher education and declined to comment if alternative consulting firms were considered during the selection process and who was involved in the decision to hire the firm.
The Board of Trustees in June approved the strategic framework officials unveiled in April, outlining three institutional priorities, including generating scholarship with impact, preparing students to be strong and resilient leaders and strengthening the University’s foundation for excellence.
A goal under the framework’s priority to strengthen the University’s foundation for excellence calls for officials to build a robust staff and administrative system with the “depth” and “expertise” to advance GW’s academic and research missions. McClendon did not specify which key priority in the strategic framework the decision to hire the firm aligns with.
This post was updated to include the following:
The post was updated to include an additional statement from University spokesperson Shannon McClendon.
