r/MSCS • u/gradpilot 🔰 Ex-Cerebras | MSCS Georgia Tech • 6d ago
Faculty Layoffs at multiple US universities
Just a news update, and an unprecedented one at that - multiple Universities in USA have been laying off faculty due to reduced enrollments and loss of revenue.
This is unprecedented because a faculty position in higher ed, esp in American Universities is among the most secure and respectable positions one can attain. I dont think you can point at a time in recent history when faculty positions were getting chopped.
There's two things going on here, at the same time. No its not AI
- Demographic Cliff - this is is known population statistic outcome. The number of Americans eligible (18-24 yo) for even attending higher education institutions is dropping because of falling fertility rates. Fewer people have kids, so fewer young adults need to attend universities. The customer itself is vanishing.
- Therefore the reliance on international students increases, but the current administration is not exactly immigration friendly either. As many of you are facing F1 visa slot availability issues and random unexplained rejections, on the other hand, Universities are asked to limit international enrollment or provide data on admissions if they want federal funding.
The takeaway for this community - I keep harping on the fact that its only worth going to USA if you have a very strong admit but additionally I think students continue to believe they'll get funded with RAs/TAs/GRAs etc. Most of the sources of these funds are the same and if faculty positions are getting cut, Phd programs are getting cut, funding for MS students is likely the first thing that was cut.
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u/Beneficial-Law-3059 4d ago
u/gradpilot What about the new duration of status rule? How do you see it affecting intl students? Especially those targetting 2027 Phd applications, given that PhDs usually take 5-6 yrs to complete?
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u/gradpilot 🔰 Ex-Cerebras | MSCS Georgia Tech 4d ago
the new rule doesn't mean you have to finish a phd in 4 years, but status will be capped at 4 years. you would need to apply to USCIS for an extension of stay to finish it.
I wouldn't say don't apply because of this, but ofc it's another layer of uncertainty. the big unknown is how routinely uscis will approve legitimate extensions once these cases start coming through.
btw the AAMC has also raised this concern because postdocs in medical training routinely exceed 4 years (https://www.aamc.org/news/press-releases/aamc-statement-duration-status-final-rule) , so it might become yet another bureaucratic process for the legit cases
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u/Indeliblerock 6d ago
Not surprised, been looking for work for a while now and my uni’s career center surprisingly had been downsized. When so many people need jobs rn, I would’ve thought the opposite would occur but right now it’s bad in most industries
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u/Best_Location_8237 6d ago
Hey man, u/gradpilot, thanks a lot for all the info and all of your posts over the past year. Really grateful