Carnegie Mellon cuts $33 million in expenses amid uncertain landscape

PITTSBURGH — In a message to the Carnegie Mellon University community on Wednesday morning, CMU President Farnam Jahanian provided an update to the university’s response to what he described as “uncertain times.”

At the crux of the message, released days before classes are set to start, was the announcement that while the university’s financial position remains strong going into the new academic year, efforts have been made to reduce expenses by $33 million.

“Several proactive measures have helped us manage this year’s challenges, including pausing merit increases, reducing non-essential expenditures, limiting new staff and faculty hiring to strategic needs and, in some units, pursuing voluntary retirement programs and targeted staff reductions,” Jahanian said. “We do not have broad layoffs planned, and this remains a measure of last resort. Our focus is on taking steps now that minimize the likelihood of having to consider this in the future.”