University President Ellen Granberg outlined an unprecedented convergence of financial and political pressures confronting GW in a message to the community Wednesday, saying they’re pushing officials to reexamine the University’s mission and the future of higher education.
Granberg reflected on cuts to the fiscal year 2026 budget — which triggered layoffs and reductions in campus services — officials’ negotiations with Universal Health Services to end GW’s financial support for the Medical Faculty Associates, response to the Justice Department’s antisemitism investigation findings and reflections on heightened federal oversight in D.C. and diversity, equity and inclusion, free speech and academic freedom policies. Granberg’s message marked the first time the University has publicly discussed the layoffs, reductions in campus services and DOJ antisemitism findings with the full community.
“Never in my experience, nor I suspect anyone else’s at GW, have we faced the convergence of challenges we are facing today, each one complex on its own,” Granberg’s message reads. “Together, they raise profound questions about the purpose, effectiveness, and finances of our university and of higher education itself.”
Granberg said the layoffs and officials’ decision to implement the hiring freeze from July to October are both “materially contributing” to reducing the University’s budget gap, though she did not disclose the current deficit — which sat at $24 million in July but jumped $10 million from May to July. She said officials aren’t currently planning additional University-wide staff cuts.
Chief Financial Officer Bruno Fernandes in August attributed the deficit to years of GW’s total expenses exceeding revenue — notably higher compensation costs like merit-based salary increases and employee benefits despite a decline in staffing levels. The University announced it would end its hiring freeze on Oct. 13 and reinstate the position management review process following officials’ announcement of layoffs earlier this month.
“The recent layoffs have been among the most difficult choices we’ve had to make, and we made them with profound respect for those affected,” Granberg said. “We never forget that there is a person at the other end of any email or conversation.”
Officials will regularly meet with the Faculty Senate Fiscal Planning and Budgeting Committee and convene a working group of faculty and staff — which Granberg announced at a September Faculty Senate meeting — to advise the administration in working toward solving the structural budget deficit, per the email.
Granberg outlined six principles guiding officials’ response to the financial and political challenges, including fairness, empathy, respect and understanding — qualities she said they reflected on when deciding to lay off 43 staff members earlier this month. Other principles include upholding the University’s core values like academic freedom, maintaining transparency with the community and remaining accountable to stakeholders like the Board of Trustees, Faculty Senate and Student Government Association.
Granberg also cited an agreement the University announced on Oct. 3 to scale back its financial support for the MFA — which currently sits $444 million in debt to GW and other lenders — and co-fund the medical enterprise with UHS as the parties negotiate a finalized deal. The MFA lost $100 million in fiscal year 2025, according to financial documents released earlier this month, despite officials pledging the practice would be in better financial shape at the end of the year.
The MFA has continued to lose tens of millions of dollars for six consecutive years, and officials have repeatedly pledged that its financial standing would improve and until this month’s announcement, remained largely quiet on the details of officials’ efforts to solve the practice’s financial woes. Granberg acknowledged in the message that she had been unable to share details about negotiations surrounding the MFA due to their “confidential nature.”
“The financial difficulties at the MFA have been decades in the making and will not be resolved quickly,” Granberg’s message reads.
Granberg also addressed President Donald Trump’s ongoing deployment of the National Guard in the District, the federal government shutdown’s impact on students and research and heightened federal law enforcement activity on and around campus — all of which she said have added to an already tense and complex environment for the GW community.
Granberg said Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Sept. 26 raid of Circa in Foggy Bottom raised concerns from community members about how the University will respond to similar enforcement actions. She said while streets and sidewalks fall under local and federal jurisdiction, non-GW Police Department law enforcement officers cannot access GW buildings without a warrant, court order or special circumstances, like pursuing a fleeing felon or responding to a medical emergency. She said staff in front-facing roles have been trained to ensure legal compliance when officers request access to restricted areas.
“We are committed to providing a safe environment for our students, faculty, and staff through the efforts of GWPD and our coordination with external law enforcement agencies,” Granberg wrote in the message.
Granberg also said the University has requested a meeting with the DOJ to discuss its finding of deliberate indifference to antisemitism on campus during the spring 2024 pro-Palestinian encampment in University Yard, but they have not yet met.
A University spokesperson confirmed in August that officials were “in contact” with the department, after it gave GW two weeks to indicate interest in a voluntary resolution agreement over its antisemitism investigation findings. The DOJ on Aug. 12 concluded that officials took no “meaningful action” against antisemitic and anti-Israeli rhetoric on campus, highlighting several incidents during the encampment.
“Most important, let me reiterate that antisemitism has no place at GW, and we continue our efforts to support our Jewish community,” Granberg said in the email.
Granberg also said the University is consulting its general counsel office to maintain inclusivity on campus as it conducts a review of DEI programs to determine whether any changes are required to comply with civil rights and anti-discrimination laws.
In August, officials said they were evaluating a DOJ memo issuing guidance on DEI programs to institutions who receive federal funding, which warned of “significant legal risks” if institutions that are subject to federal anti-discrimination laws, like GW, engage in what the Trump administration defines as discriminatory practices, like DEI programs, or other initiatives based on protected characteristics.
She said the University will share a legal assessment by the general counsel of existing programs with a group of administrators, including Office for Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement leadership, who will decide how to implement any recommendations.
Granberg said the government shutdown, which started Oct. 1 when Congress failed to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government at the end of its fiscal year, has caused the federal government to furlough community members, interrupt student financial aid and affect research progress by shutting down government facilities. She said the financial aid office is working to ensure students receive aid.
She also said freedom of speech and academic freedom, while crucial for pursuing knowledge, come with responsibilities and restrictions on time, place and manner, according to GW policy. She said protecting student speech does not mean endorsing student speech but providing an environment where students and faculty can safely engage in civil discourse.
Academic freedom has emerged as a significant talking point among faculty in the last year as GW has reviewed its free speech policies in the wake of on-campus tensions sparked by the war in Gaza and as Trump has cracked down on federal research and controversial speech on college campuses.
In April, faculty formed a GW chapter of the American Association of University Professors, a national nonprofit membership association with the mission of maintaining academic freedom in higher education, in response to Trump’s “encroachment” onto college campuses. In March 2024, the Faculty Senate also passed a resolution reaffirming academic freedom in response to officials’ announcement that they would clarify University free speech policies amid increasing pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
“The university’s role is to create spaces where members of our community can bring rigor, evidence, and respect as they confront ideas that may challenge or discomfort them,” Granberg wrote in the message.
