CUNY imposes moratorium on hiring and orders budget cuts due to drop in enrollment

CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez has imposed a moratorium on hiring and ordered budget cuts as enrollment continues to decline, The Post has learned.

In a memo to college presidents and deans earlier this month, Rodriguez said that in order to close the gap in the public system, each school must find at least 5% savings next year.

The university’s semi-annual financial report, released in January, said the system would only end the year deficit-free thanks to federal stimulus money.

The report says that spending is projected to increase by 5% this year, while tuition revenues will decrease by 4%.

“While the pandemic-driven enrollment decline has slowed, colleges are still seeing significant declines,” the report says.

Pre-autumn enrollment was 220,260, down 9% from Fall 2021 when it was 243,000.

“The City University of New York continues to seek cost-saving measures without cutting student services, an effort that will become increasingly important as federal pandemic stimulus funds dry up,” CUNY spokesman Joseph Tirella said.

Tirella said CUNY recently launched an advertising campaign called “Debt-Free Degrees” to highlight the system’s affordability and attract students.

The cost-cutting measures are being taken after some university bosses received substantial raises in the fall.

“The audacity of him to ask for this after they raised each other’s salaries by more than 30% for some of them. This is an insult to all of us,” said one of the employees.