Amid significant funding concerns, historically Black Delaware State University has implemented a hiring freeze beginning June 1, according to a recent report from Spotlight Delaware. The freeze will stay in place through the end of fiscal year 2026, at which time the HBCU will reevaluate.
Delaware State University President Tony Allen sent a memo to faculty and staff informing them of the freeze.
He stated, “With so much uncertainty in Washington, an ever-changing and often volatile market, and the ongoing challenges to delivering a high-value, low-cost education for our students, I have determined that it is now time to implement a hiring freeze until we have greater clarity on the federal landscape’s impact on our state support and a confidence that we can continue on the growth trajectory we have laid out in our strategic plan.”
Currently, the university operates under a “critical hiring process,” in which top administrators vet all new hire requests for their necessity. Any emergency staff changes that must be made during the hiring freeze will go through this process and “the standard for the hurdle of such investments will be high and consistent across the university.”
The HBCU also plans to closely monitor all grant-related hires. Although the university plans to bring in more talent through grants, administrators “are not forecasting any grant-related hires into financial projections beyond the grant period.”
President Allen concluded, “Now is not the time to worry. It is the time to work and to do so with humility, intention, and grace.”
