BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) -- LSU President William Tate IV announced a hiring freeze effective immediately in a Friday letter to faculty and staff as the university faces federal funding "uncertainty." The letter outlines initiatives to increase retention and graduation rates, grow resea rch and funding realignment. Tate said the strategic actions will help LSU navigate financial challenges while making advancements. Among its actions, the university has plans to conduct a review to eliminate redundant positions. "Effective immediately, we are freezing hiring across the university, with limited exceptions. Faculty positions with offers extended prior to today’s date will proceed. An appeals process will be available for critical hires in research, academics, or operations, with details forthcoming," Tate wrote regarding a hiring freeze. LSU Vice President of Marketing and Communications Todd Woodward clarified that the hiring freeze is temporary, saying that freezes are currently the norm for public and private schools in higher education. "LSU continues on a strong trajectory, breaking records on all campuses. This is not cost-cutting, it is aligning our resources around our core strategies for LSU," Woodward said. Some universities are freezing hiring and laying off staff as Trump cuts federal funding Future of federal funding for US colleges questionable Universities across the nation are facing potential federal funding cuts as the Trump administration has cut off funding for Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. The country's scientific and medical research capabilities are closely tied with universities. An Associated Press analysis found that schools accepted over $33 billion in federal funding in the 2022-2023 academic year before taking into account federal student aid. Actions LSU plans to take Student Success Amplification Initiative Student Success Working Group: A workgroup with multiple subcommittees at campus and system levels to develop strategies to improve student retention, performance and educational outcomes. Classroom Excellence Study: A study gathering best practices from faculty leaders to identify areas for additional training or guidance. Faculty Senate to lead this effort. Advising and Counseling Alignment: Collaborating with Enrollment and Student Success and each college to optimize advising and counseling resources. Curriculum Mapping for Degree Paths: Project to evaluate every degree path with the goals of identifying and resolving "problematic" areas. Research Acceleration Initiative Surge to Top 50: LSU plans to follow the research optimization plan outlined by Huron and Urban Advisors to leverage system-wide research efforts to get the university to Top 50 status. Faculty and Staff Excellence Incentive Program: This program would reward faculty and staff performance. Saving Lives through Health Education & Research: The university aims to develop new health programs across the LSU system to address the shortage of health care professionals in the state. Strategic Funding Realignment AI-Driven Administrative Efficiences: A committee will be created to explore AI solutions to reduce administrative burdens and enhance productivity. Enterprise Solutions and Procurement Policies: Tate said LSU is currently partnered with procurement to establish policies guiding enterprise solutions and enhancing cost savings and operational efficiency. Expand LSU Online to Support LSU's Growth: The goal is to enroll 10,000 students by 2030. Targeted Hiring Freeze: A hiring freeze is effective immediately with limited exceptions. An appeals process will be available for critical hires in research, academics or operations. Eliminate Redundant Positions and Centralize Key Roles: LSU will conduct a review to streamline roles. Precision Reinvestment: LSU will withhold 2% of departmental budgets as a safeguard starting in the fiscal year 2026. Tate said this ensures operational excellence and positions LSU to withstand possible funding cuts and challenges. He said .5% can be regained through hitting certain metrics and goals, and the remaining 1.5% would go into a strategic fund to allow for a competitive process to complete for awards and research initiatives. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Latest News Texas reaches 400 measles cases as US deals with outbreaks in 5 states Stolen truck pursuit ends with violent, multi-vehicle pileup in Southern California Musk says xAI buys social media platform X for $45 billion Withdrawal of Stefanik UN nod puts spotlight on slim House margin New Orleans woman arrested, accused of setting home on fire with someone inside ...read more read less