San Diego State implements hiring freeze amid federal and state funding concerns

San Diego State University is implementing a hiring freeze effective immediately as the university looks to reduce its budget amid federal and state funding concerns, SDSU recently announced.

The announcement comes as potential federal funding cuts are making universities across the United States take a closer look at their budgets. Last week, the UC system announced a hiring freeze due to executive orders and California's proposed budget.

SDSU President Adela de la Torre said in a letter to faculty and staff on March 20 that the California State University system is facing a likely 7.95% budget reduction after Gov. Gavin Newsom released his proposed fiscal year 2025-26 Budget in January.

One of the steps SDSU is taking in response to funding concerns at the state and federal level is halting hiring for most faculty and staff positions — with some exceptions for critical positions. The university is referring to the halt as a hiring "chill" to differentiate the move from a no-exception hiring stoppage.

"While the hiring chill is effective immediately for MPP (management personnel positions) and staff positions, current active tenure-track searches for academic year (AY) 2025-26 starts will not be impacted. However, the hiring chill will impact tenure and tenure track faculty searches for faculty who would start in AY 2026-27," de la Torre wrote.

Additionally, the president said each university division would be reducing costs by cutting non-essential travel, deferring multi-year projects and more.

"This approach, combined with our one-time revenue streams, will allow us to avoid and prevent the campus-wide layoffs we see elsewhere," de la Torre added.