On Monday, the US Department of Education sent a letter to 60 universities, sparking widespread concern across the education sector. The letter warned these institutions, including Johns Hopkins University, that they could lose federal funding if they fail to ensure a safe environment for Jewish students.
“The Department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite US campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year. University leaders must do better,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMohan, as reported by CBS News.
The Baltimore Banner reported that last week, Johns Hopkins University President Ronald Daniels warned faculty, staff, and students about the potential for significant budget cuts, impacting both programs and personnel. Daniels stated that more than $800 million in foreign aid contracts managed by the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Communication Programs, and the university’s affiliated humanitarian aid organization, Jhpiego, had been terminated.
This marks the first time the university has publicly quantified the financial impact of these cuts. The Baltimore Banner further reported that these reductions would be in addition to the previously identified $200 million in potential annual biomedical research funding losses.
“At this time, we have little choice but to reduce some of our work in response to the slowing and stopping of grants and to adjust to an evolving legal landscape,” Daniels wrote. “There are difficult moments before us, with impacts on budgets, personnel, and programs. Some will take time to fully understand and address, while others will happen more quickly,” reports The Baltimore Banner.
The university is also preparing to downsize its Baltimore-based affiliated nonprofit, Jhpiego, which has historically worked closely with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) but has already halted several international projects, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Jhpiego and the Center for Communication Programs collectively employ around 4,400 people worldwide, including hundreds in Baltimore. These funding cuts could have a direct impact on those employees. Finance officials at the university are currently exploring various contingency plans to mitigate potential funding losses while ensuring the institution can continue its research and service missions. The extent of these anticipated budget reductions highlights how deeply Johns Hopkins is financially linked to the federal government, reports The Baltimore Banner.
Additionally, WENews reported that Daniels reiterated his concerns about the looming budgetary challenges, stating that the Baltimore campus must prepare for significant program and staff reductions in response to these seismic shifts in federal funding.
