By SUSAN JONES
Here again are the actions coming out of the federal government during the past two weeks that might impact Pitt and other universities.
Friday, Feb. 7: The National Institutes of Health issues guidance that it plans to cap reimbursement for indirect costs (facilities and administration) at 15%, sending shock waves across higher education.
Sunday, Feb. 9: Pitt responds with an email from Provost Joe McCarthy, Senior Vice Chancellor for Research Rob Rutenbar; Anantha Shekhar, SVC for Health Sciences; and Dwayne Pinkney executive senior vice chancellor for administration and finance/chief financial officer that says in part: “We recognize the significant impact this guidance could potentially have across our entire Pitt community on our work and for the many people involved directly and indirectly. We’ve undertaken an immediate impact analysis of the overall financial consequences for Pitt in real time along with estimated forward-looking projections. In addition, we’re engaging closely with universities across the country, and with our national representative associations, as they consider the appropriate responses.”
Monday, Feb. 10: State attorneys general from 22 states (but not Pennsylvania) file for a temporary restraining order to stop the NIH indirect costs cuts. A federal judge prohibits the cuts from going forward in those 22 states, and then the restraining order is expanded nationwide after suits are filed by two other groups led by the Association of American Medical Colleges and Association of American Universities.
Pennsylvania’s attorney general, Republican David Sunday, when asked about why the state did not join in the suits, said, “We are speaking with institutions throughout Pennsylvania which are impacted by NIH’s change in policy and are in the process of assessing the best approach to protect their interests.”
Feb. 10: The Trump administration cancels nearly $900 million in Institute of Education Sciences contracts — a massive blow to a U.S. Education Department agency that houses the National Center for Education Statistics, funds research on how to improve higher education and provides publicly accessible data on U.S. postsecondary institutions, according to Inside Higher Education.
Thursday, Feb. 13: Education secretary nominee Linda McMahon tells senators at her confirmation hearing that the president’s plan to dismantle the Education Department would need congressional approval. “We’d like to do this right,” she said. “We’d like to make sure that we are presenting a plan that I think our senators could get on board with, and our Congress could get on board with.” See more about her testimony in the Tribune-Review.
Friday, Feb. 14: Despite not having a new leader, the Education Department’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights, Craig Trainor, posts a Dear Colleague letter declaring all race-conscious student programming, resources and financial aid illegal and threatens to investigate and rescind federal funding for any institution that does not comply within 14 days.
The letter says that the 2023 Supreme Court decision that banned the use of race-based criteria in admissions “applies more broadly,” prohibiting institutions from considering race in “hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life.”
In an email on Feb. 21, Pitt Chancellor Joan Gabel reiterates that “We want to be clear that the University of Pittsburgh is open to everyone, and we are committed to fulfilling our promise of successful outcomes academically or professionally. We hold ourselves accountable, and we provide the environment where success can and should happen. Recognizing that many of our community members are feeling great uncertainty at this time, please be assured that we will be in touch with additional information, as appropriate, including future guidance from the Department of Education.”
Tuesday, Feb. 18: The National Science Foundation cuts 168 employees — about 10% of its staff. Half were probationary employees, many of whom have Ph.D.s in their fields. The other half were contract workers who are highly specialized in their fields and who often work full-time jobs at universities and other institutions. Other agencies that Pitt researchers deal with, like the NIH, also are facing staffing cuts.
Friday, Feb. 21: A federal judge extends the temporary restraining order on the NIH imposing a 15% cap on indirect costs of research, until she can make a more permanent ruling. (See related story.)
Feb. 21: A separate federal judge blocks Trump’s bid to deprive federal funding from programs that incorporate “diversity, equity and inclusion” initiatives. The National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education and the American Association of University Professors previously filed suit over Trump’s Jan. 21 executive order on eliminating DEI programs, calling it unconstitutionally vague. This is a separate order than the Department of Education letter of Feb. 14.
Politico reports that U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson ruled that Trump’s policy likely violates the First Amendment because it penalizes private organizations based on their viewpoints. And the judge said the policy is written so vaguely that it chills the free speech of federal contractors concerned they will be punished if they don’t eliminate programs meant to encourage a diverse workforce.
Feb. 21: It was reported that Pitt had paused doctoral admissions as it contemplates the impact of possible NIH cuts. In a statement on Feb. 24, Pitt said: “The University is in the early stages of extending Ph.D. offers of admission as we continue to gather the relevant information in support of our teaching and research missions. Our goal is to properly support existing community members while also responsibly adding new members to the community. All parts of the University are strategically planning offers to align with anticipated fiscal constraints at the University.”
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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