Latest news with #HarrisSchoolofPublicPolicy
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
University of Chicago to pause Ph.D. admissions across several schools
The University of Chicago will pause admissions for 'a small number' of Ph.D. and master's programs across several schools amid mounting fiscal pressures. All Ph.D. programs within the Harris School of Public Policy and the Crown School of Social Work, Policy and Practice will be affected, along with several departments in the Division of the Arts & Humanities. The admissions pause will only apply to the 2026-27 academic year, during which the programs will undergo a structural review, according to a university spokesperson. Students who are currently enrolled will not be affected. 'These unit-level decisions reflect each program's specific context and long-term goals, with the aim of ensuring the highest-quality training for the next generation of scholars,' the spokesperson said. U. of C. has struggled for years to balance its budget — and those challenges have only intensified under President Donald Trump's administration. Officials have cited cuts to federal research funding, along with changing policies on student loans and international students. In the Division of the Arts & Humanities, eight departments will stop accepting applications, according to an email Tuesday from Dean Deborah Nelson obtained by the Tribune. The remaining seven departments will accept smaller Ph.D. cohorts. 'To be anything but cautious at this moment of uncertainty and evolving fiscal realities would be irresponsible to both those students and our long-term health,' Nelson wrote to faculty. Nelson's announcement follows the formation of five faculty advisory committees in June tasked with identifying cost-cutting measures across the division. But she said the decision to pause doctorate program admissions did not come from any of those groups. Whitney Cox, a professor in the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations and a member of the Ph.D. programs committee, said the group had unanimously decided that any pause in admissions should apply to all programs, rather than singling out or prioritizing some departments over others. Cox described a climate of confusion and frustration among faculty. 'I found this decision to be extremely opaque and disappointing, and it's hard for me to have much confidence in the process going forward,' he said. Graduate students will continue to be admitted in the departments of art history, cinema and media studies, East Asian languages and civilizations, English language and literature, linguistics, music and philosophy. Nelson did not specify the extent to which the Ph.D. cohort sizes would be reduced. Cliff Ando, a professor in the departments of classics and history, called the changes 'a betrayal of the values of the university.' 'I'm shocked and dismayed,' Ando said. 'The committee specifically recommended that the dean not implement a policy that would favor some departments and disfavor others, and the dean overrode the faculty recommendation.' The decision on which departments would continue to admit students was based on the number of applicants, undergraduate demand, tenure track and career placements, Nelson said in the email. Cox, who studies the literary and intellectual history of southern India, said that his department is small because it is specialized — but that doesn't discount its value. 'It's with a certain amount of pride and satisfaction that I say that we're the best department in our field, certainly in North America, arguably in the world,' Cox said. Faculty advisory committees are continuing to finalize their cost-cutting proposals for the division. The five groups are slated to present their recommendations to university officials at the end of August. In addition to Ph.D. programs, the targeted areas include college teaching, division organization, languages and master's programs. 'As dean, there is nothing more important to me than ensuring our long-term excellence in training scholars and artists who will help shape the future of the work to which we have dedicated our professional lives,' Nelson wrote.
Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
University of Chicago to pause Ph.D. admissions in several humanities departments
The University of Chicago will pause admissions for 'a small number' of PhD and master's programs across several schools amid mounting fiscal pressures. All programs within the Harris School of Public Policy and the Crown School of Social Work, Policy and Practice will be impacted, along with several departments in the Division of the Arts & Humanities. The admissions pause will only apply to the 2026-27 academic year, during which the programs will undergo a structural review, according to a university spokesperson. Students who are currently enrolled will not be affected. 'These unit-level decisions reflect each program's specific context and long-term goals, with the aim of ensuring the highest-quality training for the next generation of scholars,' the spokesperson said. U. of C. has struggled for years to balance its budget for years — and those challenges have only intensified under the Trump administration. Officials have cited cuts to federal research funding, along with changing policies on student loans and international students. In the Division of the Arts & Humanities, eight departments will stop accepting applications, according to an email Tuesday from Dean Deborah Nelson obtained by The Tribune. The remaining seven departments will accept smaller Ph.D. cohorts. 'To be anything but cautious at this moment of uncertainty and evolving fiscal realities would be irresponsible to both those students and our long-term health,' Nelson wrote to faculty. Nelson's announcement follows the formation of five faculty advisory committees in June tasked with identifying cost-cutting measures across the division. But she said the decision to pause Ph.D. admissions did not come from any of those groups. Whitney Cox, a professor in the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations and a member of the Ph.D. programs committee, said the group had unanimously decided against recommending any changes to admissions, he said. Cox described a climate of confusion and frustration among faculty. 'I found this decision to be extremely opaque and disappointing, and it's hard for me to have much confidence in the process going forward,' he said. Graduate students will continue to be admitted in the departments of Art History, Cinema and Media Studies, East Asian Languages and Civilizations, English Language and Literature, Linguistics, Music and Philosophy. Nelson did not specify the extent to which the Ph.D. cohort sizes would be reduced. Cliff Ando, a professor in the Departments of Classics and History, called the changes 'a betrayal of the values of the university.' 'I'm shocked and dismayed,' Ando said. 'The committee specifically recommended that the dean not implement a policy that would favor some departments and disfavor others, and the dean overrode the committee the faculty recommendation.' The decision on which departments would continue to admit students was based on the number of applicants, undergraduate demand, tenure track and career placements, Nelson said in the email. Cox, who studies the literary and intellectual history of southern India, said that his department is small because it is specialized — but that doesn't discount its value. 'It's with a certain amount of pride and satisfaction that I say that we're the best department in our field, certainly in North America, arguably in the world,' Cox said. Faculty advisory committees are continuing to finalize their cost-cutting proposals for the division. The five groups are slated to present their recommendations to university officials at the end of August. In addition to Ph.D. programs, the targeted areas include college teaching, division organization, languages and masters programs. 'As dean, there is nothing more important to me than ensuring our long-term excellence in training scholars and artists who will help shape the future of the work to which we have dedicated our professional lives,' Nelson wrote.
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Senate reverses course and makes SALT plentiful again in tax bill. Why this matters.
The Senate walked through the looking glass over the weekend. When the Senate released its revisions to the state and local tax provision of the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill," it made a 180-degree turn on the contentious SALT cap. It raised the SALT deduction cap to $40,000 from $10,000 with incomes up to $500,000 through 2029 and will annually adjust the cap for inflation. It also revived a tax loophole allowing pass-through entities to pay state and local taxes and deduct them so individuals can avoid SALT caps. The change would add to the U.S.'s already ballooning deficit and mostly benefit rich Americans, analysts said. 'SALT benefits people who pay high property taxes and tend to be wealthy,' said Prof. Christopher Berry from the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy. 'They may also subsidize high-tax places by effectively making local taxes less expensive. Neither of these are generally considered desirable policy goals.' Why did the Senate reverse course? No one knows exactly why the Senate completely changed course, but many Republicans and Democrats from high-tax states like New York, New Jersey, Illinois and California, have pushed for higher SALT caps to keep their wealthy constituents happy. Many have threatened to vote no to the entire tax bill over SALT alone. To Adam Michel, director of tax policy studies at Cato Institute, 'this is a classic case of backroom dealmaking to win votes. Lawmakers from high-tax states pushed for these provisions as part of negotiations, trading sound tax policy and larger budget deficits for parochial interests.' Some wealthy households will pay less federal tax, 'and some high-tax, primarily Democrat-run states and localities, will be able to raise taxes with the help of these renewed federal subsidies,' he said. How much would the change cost? The Senate's new SALT switcheroo, plus changes in the alternative minimum tax (AMT), would cost $325 billion on net, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB). AMT aims to ensure high earners pay a minimum amount of federal income tax. To do that, certain high earners calculate their tax liability like everyone else and then again using AMT rules, which limit certain deductions and exemptions. Those taxpayers pay the higher of the two bills. The Senate wants to extend the AMT exemption but adjust it for inflation. It also plans to adjust AMT phaseout levels. 'The broader consequences are negative—more complexity, bigger deficits, and a tax code increasingly riddled with carveouts,' Michel said. Are SALT deductions fair? Wealthy Americans mostly benefit from SALT deductions, but 'these people tend to reside in states that are net contributors to the federal government—meaning they pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits—and remain so even after the deductions,' Berry said. 'Through that lens, it's hard for people in other states to argue about fairness of SALT.' What should the Senate do instead? 'Rather than expand the SALT deduction, the Senate should be eliminating it – not only for high income taxpayers, but businesses as well,' CRFB said. It estimates this could save over $1 trillion. Some of those savings, Michel said, could also go towards expanding tax relief for a broader base of Americans. Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at mjlee@ and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday.
