UNC System personnel cap implementation

NC State faculty and staff,

Late last week, all chancellors across the UNC System met with President Peter Hans and discussed the implementation of a personnel cap, among other measures, to prepare for anticipated reductions in state funding.

The directive caps employee head count and permanent salary spending at April 2025 levels, and it asks universities to identify meaningful savings in contracted services. Additional detailed guidance is expected from the system office soon, but I want to reiterate that this is a cap and not a freeze. Hiring is still possible through attrition or reallocation of resources.

I recognize that this news, combined with ongoing uncertainty around federal funding for research and sponsored programs, may present challenges. I have directed Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Warwick Arden and Executive Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Charles Maimone to provide practical guidance for hiring, retaining and recruiting faculty and staff as soon as possible. NC State is a high-performing university with an impressive success record, and our commitment to teaching, research and outreach will remain our top priority as we navigate these financial pressures.

In addition, I’ve been meeting with our state and federal lawmakers to make the case for continued investment in our mission and to highlight the value of our work. Teams across the university are also assessing how we can make the best use of all resources entrusted to us as we move forward together.

Thank you for all you do — your work is essential to our mission, and I’m committed to keeping us on a path toward continued excellence. As soon as we have more information, we’ll share it with you.

Kevin Howell
Chancellor