Harvard cuts 25% of union staff at SEAS: Is it gutting the school to save its reputation?

Harvard University has laid off roughly 25% of staff represented by the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers (HUCTW) at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), according to internal communications obtained by The Harvard Crimson . The move is part of a broader restructuring plan prompted by financial pressures, including increased taxation and changes to federal research funding. SEAS Dean David C. Parkes announced the layoffs in an email to SEAS staff. While he did not specify the exact number of employees affected, The Boston Globe, citing an unnamed source, reported that approximately 40 staff members were laid off. The job cuts also extended to non-union employees. Rising costs and shifting funding models drive layoffs Parkes attributed the decision