Stanford University has announced plans to lay off hundreds of employees as a result of significant funding cuts to higher education under the administration of President Donald Trump.
The move makes Stanford the latest elite U.S. institution to implement mass layoffs following similar decisions by Harvard, Columbia, and Johns Hopkins.
According to official documents reviewed by AFP and confirmed Wednesday, the university intends to cut 363 jobs, citing a $140 million reduction in its general funds budget for the upcoming academic year. A mandatory filing with the California state government confirmed the scale of the layoffs.
In a joint statement, Stanford President Jon Levin and Provost Jenny Martinez described the decision as a painful but necessary step in response to a \”challenging fiscal environment shaped in large part by federal policy changes affecting higher education.\”
Since taking office, President Trump has used federal funding as leverage against universities he accuses of promoting liberal agendas, demanding reforms in areas such as curriculum design and enrollment policies. His administration has also slashed or frozen spending on university research as part of broader budget cuts.
“These are difficult actions that affect valued colleagues and friends who have made important contributions to Stanford,” Levin and Martinez said.
With a staff population of around 18,000 and a global reputation for academic excellence, Stanford’s decision underscores the mounting financial pressures faced by American higher education institutions amid shifting federal priorities.
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