Universities across the U.S. announced staff cuts this week as institutions confront budget shortfalls, enrollment declines and rising costs. Michigan State University said it will lay off 99 employees, citing healthcare and other rising expenses; the University of Northern Colorado plans roughly 50 layoffs and elimination of vacant positions to close a $7 million gap; and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is cutting 70 roles to address a $25 million deficit. State funding reductions and lower enrollment revenue were cited repeatedly. Separately, several professors have been removed or fired amid political pressures over classroom speech, intensifying concerns about academic freedom and faculty governance during a period of fiscal retrenchment.