Penn State has implemented a hiring freeze on Aug. 1 through at least next summer to help balance the school’s budget over the next several years. 
The school was operating at more than a $150 million deficit last academic year.
The freeze includes currently posted positions where an offer has not yet been extended, according to an email sent to select faculty and from Dr. Clarence Lang, dean of the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts.
“A variety of factors have contributed to the university’s current financial situation, including significant inflation, flat state funding for a third consecutive year, tuition freezes in three of the last four years, and enrollment and revenue pressures at least partially due to the pandemic,” university spokesperson Wyatt DuBois said Monday in a written statement.
In an email to faculty in the liberal arts college, Lang said that, even in the best-case scenario, tenure-line faculty hiring “will be particularly lean” this school year. According to Lang’s email, the school is aiming to save about $250 million to help balance the budget over the next three years.
The freeze is not a total freeze. Critical positions — such as those related to safety, student success, and compliance — will continue to be filled. The freeze also does not include graduate assistantships or positions that are fully funded by external grants or contracts.
