UMD tightens hiring guidelines amid Maryland budget deficit

The University of Maryland has implemented new hiring procedures, including additional hiring reviews and a pause on creating some faculty and staff positions, according to an email from university administration last week.

According to the email, efforts to fill existing and funded positions at this university require additional reviews from the respective department’s vice president, vice president for finance and chief financial officer. This change excludes people who have completed interviews and received offer letters as of March 12.

This university is also pausing the creation of new regular and contingent staff and faculty positions, according to the guidelines, which were sent to faculty and staff on March 13 from university president Darryll Pines, senior vice president and provost Jennifer King Rice and vice president and chief financial officer Greg Oler.

The measures come as Maryland faces a $2.7 billion deficit. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s budget proposal includes $111 million in budget cuts to the University System of Maryland.

[Maryland to raise some taxes, cut $2.3 billion in spending under new budget deal]

The changes will also alter this university’s approach to new construction, renovation and discretionary spending.

The Capital, Infrastructure and Technology committee will review new capital, renovation and infrastructure projects to ensure funds are available, according to the email. This excludes projects with signed contracts and issued purchase orders.

Contracts of $100,000 to $249,999 must now be reviewed by the relevant department’s vice president to assess the project’s “strategic importance to campus,” the email read. Contracts greater than $250,000 require review from the department’s vice president for finance and chief financial officer to assess financial viability.

Every decision maker at this university should also review discretionary spending such as travel, office equipment and consults, the email read.

“Given the expected budget impacts at both the state and federal levels, the university will be giving judicious consideration to expenditures in order to minimize disruption to our teaching and research missions,” the email read.