Dear Faculty and Staff:
As part of our continued effort and ongoing responsibility to steward University resources thoughtfully, we are implementing a temporary, structured review process for employee hiring across all types of positions. This important step is being taken in light of evolving state and federal budget conditions that may impact higher education funding. While we do not yet have final determinations, it is prudent to position our University for financial flexibility in the months ahead.
Our goals are to protect the core academic mission; meet accreditation requirements; safeguard student success and retention; sustain clinical care; preserve research competitiveness; and ensure compliance and campus safety. We recognize that hiring pauses can create anxiety and uncertainty, but they are necessary to effectively navigate undefined budget realities and maintain long-term financial stability.
Effective immediately, all new hires and position backfills will undergo a centralized review. This is not a blanket hiring freeze. Positions that are externally funded, legally required, critical to health and safety, revenue-generating, or essential to accreditation and student success will continue to move forward through an expedited review process.
Requests for such reviews require a divisional leader, specifically an executive vice president/vice president, to prepare and transmit a memorandum with justification for the requested position(s) to my office. Please send such review requests to the attention of Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Operating Officer Ashley Schumaker at aschumak@odu.edu for a detailed assessment and formal response.
If a position is already posted and in the interview or offer stage, please proceed as initially planned and previously authorized. If a position is posted, but no recent interviews have occurred, the aforementioned process shall be followed with a request made to my office. This process will remain in place until further notice. Additional guidance for hiring managers and campus supervisors will be shared shortly.
Thank you for your continued dedication to our students and each other. As we navigate these dynamic times together, our University remains forward-focused and steadfast in our shared commitment to carrying out our worthwhile mission of teaching, research, and service in an effective and efficient manner now and well into the future!
Sincerely,
Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D.
President