University of California Orders Hiring Freeze Amid Federal, State Funding Cuts

With over 280,000 students and 227,000 faculty and work staff, the university is one of the largest higher education systems in the country.

A student walks toward Royce Hall on the campus of University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) on March 11, 2020. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

The University of California has ordered a systemwide hiring freeze and made cuts to help mitigate the impact of reductions in state and federal funding, the school’s president, Michael V. Drake, said on March 19.

“Over the last few months, the new administration in Washington, D.C., has announced a number of executive orders and proposed policy changes, including ones that threaten funding for lifesaving research, patient care, and education support,” Drake said in a statement posted to the school’s website. “These actions affect colleges and universities across the country.”