The GW
HATCHET
September 29, 2025 Vol. 122 Iss. 8
AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER • SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904 • ONLINE AT GWHATCHET.COM
GW reaffirms stance against tapping endowment to offset budget deficit GIANNA JAKUBOWSKI ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Officials will not draw from GW’s endowment to combat its structural deficit, a University spokesperson confirmed — echoing the Board of Trustees’ stance during a period of pandemic-induced financial instability. As GW nears the end of FY2026’s first quarter, a faculty and staff working group is considering “additional measures” beyond University-wide budget cuts to address a yearslong structural deficit, but University spokesperson Julia Garbitt confirmed officials are not considering tapping the endowment. The assertion reflects the University’s 2020 stance — when GW faced a $180 million budget gap during the COVID-19 pandemic — and comes amid ongoing debate in higher education over whether schools should draw from their endowments to offset President Donald Trump’s cuts to federal research and student loan programs. University spokesperson Julia Garbitt said officials will continue to “responsibly leverage” the endowment and “maximize distri-
butions,” but much of the fund is restricted, and the pool of money is not intended to cover the University’s structural deficit. Faculty in 2020 urged officials to draw on GW’s endowment, reserves and loan funds before considering layoffs, furloughs and salary cuts after the Board pledged not to tap into the funds, citing a fiduciary duty to protect the University’s long-term financial health. As universities grapple with a looming demographic cliff and Trump-era policies targeting higher education, school leaders, higher education experts and politicians in recent months have weighed the feasibility of institutions tapping their endowments to navigate financial instability. University leaders argue they must preserve their endowments for school-wide operations, but others — including former Harvard President Larry Summers and former U.S. President Barack Obama — have doubled down on the notion that universities should leverage their endowments to combat Trump-era cuts and defend academic freedom. See GW Page 5
Board of Trustees Chair Grace Speights during a meeting in February.
Campus living staff turnover climbs for second consecutive year: web archives RYAN J. KARLIN
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
At least seven Campus Living and Residential Education central office staff and nine community coordinators have left over the past year, marking the second consecutive year of turnover after five central staff members left CLRE last summer. CLRE’s leadership shrank from 11 to eight employees since August 2024, and the number of community coordinators dropped from 24 to 17 across 25 residence halls, according to web archives. Former CLRE Director Joe Paulick left in July after just
seven months in the role, and a University spokesperson declined to comment on the status of the search for a replacement — there is currently no job posting for the position online — or whether CLRE is exempt from the University-wide hiring freeze officials implemented that month. Five assistant directors — who serve in a middle-management role within CLRE and are typically responsible for residential operations and safety and equity assessment — have left their roles since August 2024, according to web archives and analysis of LinkedIn profiles.
In August 2024, CLRE had six assistant directors but now has three after five departures and officials’ move to hire two replacements in December. A University spokesperson declined to comment on whether officials redistributed responsibilities to cover the staffing changes or if the positions remain vacant. Currently, the University does not list job postings for any of these roles. The spokesperson declined to comment on whether University-wide budget cuts caused the department to downsize. Maddie Ochoco and Chelsey Johan-
son, former assistant directors of residential education, left the University in July and August, respectively. Johanson took a similar role at Georgetown University, according to her LinkedIn profile. Former Assistant Director Allen Clay Jr. left last September to become an associate dean at Eastern Mennonite University, and Mariam Martinez left her role as an assistant director in January but is still employed as a faculty lecturer at GW. Kendall Daniels, a former housing associate for CLRE, also left her position in June, according to web archives and her LinkedIn profile.
KYRA WOOD | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR A Campus Living and Residential Education shirt hangs in a residence hall room.
ARWEN CLEMANS | SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Granberg’s 10 leadership hires help define University’s direction GIANNA JAKUBOWSKI ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Ten members of top University leadership have joined GW or been elevated to new positions since University President Ellen Granberg took office in July 2023, signaling her growing imprint on the University’s future. Granberg in the last two years has assembled a leadership team — including senior administrators, provost-level leaders and academic deans — whose expertise and alignment with her priorities are central to advancing major institutional initiatives. Those leaders have been tasked with driving future planning efforts including Granberg’s new strategic plan and the University’s new budget model, both designed to reinforce GW’s mission and confront systemic challenges as the University navigates a period of significant transition. Now in her third year, Granberg and leadership team is guiding the University through a redefining era marked by the search for a permanent provost, ongoing budget cuts and a hiring freeze as they attempt to address a structural deficit and intensifying political pressure on higher education — conditions that are expected to shape the University’s trajectory for years to come. University spokesperson Shannon McClendon said Granberg has been “actively engaged” in shaping the University’s leadership team since the start of her tenure, adding that the president and other University leaders balance institutional needs and community members’ input when hiring top administrators. McClendon also said GW follows “best practices” in its searches by conducting them nationally and engaging external search advisors on search committees. She said officials emphasize appointing leaders who have “extensive experience” in the position’s field and a strategic vision for how their perspectives will benefit the University. The Hatchet reported in January that seven of former University President Thomas LeBlanc’s top appointed
officials had left GW, announced their plans to leave or scaled back their roles since his 2021 departure — openings that have allowed Granberg to reshape the University’s leadership team with officials positioned to carry out her strategic agenda. Five higher education experts said such turnover is typical during presidential transitions, adding that while it creates opportunities for institutional realignment, it can also usher in a period of uncertainty and adjustment for faculty and staff who work closely with senior leadership. Granberg’s efforts to reshape University leadership began in earnest in March 2024 with her first top-level hire, marking the start of a series of key appointments that have gradually formed the core team responsible for advancing her agenda. Here is breakdown of how her leadership team has taken shape:
Spring and Summer 2024
Granberg named Scott Mory her senior vice president and chief of staff in March 2024 and announced that he would begin his tenure that July, replacing Aristide Collins Jr. who left in July 2023 — the same month Granberg started — after almost six years in the role. Mory has been involved with key University decisions since starting at GW, including the implementation and April and July announcements of budget cuts, supervising the investigation into the arming of the GW Police Department while also serving as a frequent liaison to the Staff Council. Chief Financial Officer Bruno Fernandes, who works alongside Granberg, announced in June 2024 that he appointed Baxter Goodly as the vice president for safety and operations, a position he’d served in in an interim capacity for six months. He previously served as senior associate vice president of facilities planning, construction and management from June 2021 to June 2024 and the interim head of safety and facilities from the beginning of 2024 until his permanent appointment in June. See GRANBERG Page 5
GW declines to disclose specifics of talks with UHS regarding future of MFA GIANNA JAKUBOWSKI ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Officials declined to share details of their negotiations with Universal Health Services over ending GW’s financial ties to the Medical Faculty Associates after University President Ellen Granberg teased the discussions earlier this month. Granberg at a Faculty Senate meeting earlier this month said GW is negotiating with UHS, GW Hospital’s owner and operator, in an attempt to end its financial support for the MFA — which has amassed more than $400 million in debt to GW and other entities since GW took the reins in 2018 — marking the first time officials publicly disclosed efforts to cut financial ties from the medical enterprise. A University spokesperson has since WHAT’S
INSIDE
declined to comment on the details of the negotiations, including when they began, when the parties expect to conclude talks and whether GW has engaged external consultants, like lawyers or financial advisors, though Granberg said officials expect to provide a “substantive” update on negotiations at October’s Faculty Senate meeting. University spokesperson Julia Garbitt earlier this month said officials, UHS and the MFA were working to chart a “sustainable path forward” for all parties to eliminate the University’s financial support for the medical enterprise. “Our goal is to ultimately eliminate GW’s financial support of the MFA to cover its operating losses while preserving high quality medical education and health care for the communities we serve,”
NEWS Upperclassmen said residence halls feel safe after GW rolled back 24/7 security, but fear further cuts to student resources. Page 2
Garbitt said in an email in midSeptember. The negotiations with UHS suggest GW is planning to restructure its relationship with the MFA for the third time over the last 30 years, which most recently included GW bringing the MFA under its governance in 2018, giving the University control of its budget and leadership. A University spokesperson declined to comment on why officials would potentially deepen their relationship with UHS with a restructuring of the MFA given legal disputes between UHS and the MFA and ongoing negotiations surrounding the Cedar Hill hospital and whether GW’s current University-wide financial strains have played a role in officials’ decision to change their financial support for the MFA.
OPINIONS The editorial board argues GW should strengthen athletics by backing smaller goals before tackling long-term investments. Page 6
CARSTEN HOLST | PHOTOGRAPHER The entrance to the GW Medical Faculty Associates Ambulatory Care Center on 22nd Street.
CULTURE Take a look behind the counter of a popular matcha spot to see how a global tea shortage impacts drink distribution. Page 7
SPORTS Meet the GW Athletics alumni who returned to the University as assistant coaches to help the next generation of athletes up their game. Page 8