Duke University cut $299 million through buyouts, building closures in response to federal cuts

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 3:41 PM EST, December 29, 2025


Following his inauguration in January, U.S. President Donald Trump brought along a new team of advisers and a playbook for higher education. The administration unleashed a slew of demands on colleges and universities in what has been seen by higher education leaders as an “overreach” on academic freedom by the federal government.

At the forefront of top political adviser Stephen Miller, Trinity ’07, and Trump’s agenda was mandating universities axe diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, limit international student enrollment and decrease their reliance on federally funded research. The administration also changed student loan policies, cut Medicaid reimbursement rates and increased the tax rate universities would have to pay on their endowment.

For institutions like Duke that operate both a University and a Health System, the lapses in federal funding cut key revenue streams. In response, Duke enacted a $364 million cost-cutting program, becoming one of the first universities to trim its personnel pool amid the federal funding changes and one of the institutions with the largest budgetary cuts.

The program has produced $229 million in savings across Duke’s departments and schools for the fiscal year 2026 budget, according to a September Academic Council presentation by Executive Vice President Daniel Ennis and Rachel Satterfield, vice president for finance and treasurer. The goal, though, is to reduce its expense base by $350 million by 2030, which Duke aims to accomplish by saving an additional $47 million in each of the next two years, another $30 million in fiscal year 2029 and $11 million the year after. That leaves Duke with $364 million saved — $14 million above its initial target.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-donald-trump-es-colleges-and-universities-stephen-miller-education-funding-f7bfa57ad08fdae98935064edb46437d

[LiberalArkie]

1. decrease their reliance on federally funded research means

Rely more on corporate research not public funding. Everything must be for profit not the public good.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. The rigme is destroying American universities.

[yardwork]

3. The "Trinity '07" reference after Stephen Miller's name isn't a secret code.

It means that Stephen Miller graduated from Duke's undergraduate program in 2007. Duke's College of Arts and Sciences is called Trinity College.

It's interesting to think about what shaped the monster called Stephen Miller. As an undergraduate he had a regular right wing column called Miller Time in the student paper. Right away we see an inanity and yearning for the past: Miller Time was an advertising slogan for Miller beer decades before Stephen was born.

[OldBaldy1701E]

5. The irony of using that title when one is trying to be serious and professional is hysterical to me.

Especially since most right wing idiots would be about six cans down by the time they start in with their lunacy.

[yardwork]

6. Exactly!

I'm trying to imagine how seriously ... inane you'd have to be to think that was clever in 2006.

I've read some of his columns - you can find them online - and they're the usual childish drivel urging his fellow students to abuse the housekeeping and facilities staff, etc.

Something is seriously wrong with that guy.

[wolfie001]

4. Fascist and racist regime

Led by a fat orange imbecile.