Meanwhile, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is in the middle of a historic top-to-bottom restructuring. They are beginning to panic and lay off a third of their employees. Thursday, took the first actions to lay off nearly two-thirds of its employees—about 65% of the agency’s 180 employees. This decision is in careful consideration of continued budgetary pressures. Thanks in part to this effort, the NEH now has a $207 million budget to continue supporting vital humanities programs throughout the country.
Since 1965, the NEH has provided an astounding $6 billion in grants. These funds are used to support everything from museums and historic sites to classroom school programs and state humanities councils. The staff of the NEH has been essential in administering these grant programs, which contribute to building humanities infrastructure in local communities and ensuring students in rural areas have access to national cultural treasures.
The cuts have understandably left stakeholders feeling uncertain about the future of these critical programs. For now, the NEH has begun to rescind grants. This ruling especially affects the National History Day competition and appropriations for national/state humanities councils.
“Without enough staff on-hand to administer grant programs, the Administration is essentially terminating programs that organizations rely on in all fifty states,” – AFGE Local 3403.
The American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403 is the exclusive bargaining representative for NEH employees. They have been fierce critics of the agency’s recent moves. Union representatives argue that the Administration’s approach shows a lack of appreciation for the significant contributions made by NEH staff to the nation’s cultural landscape.
“The union is disgusted by this Administration’s callous disregard for the meaningful contributions NEH staff make to our nation’s culture,” – AFGE Local 3403.
Read more about why the NEH is committed to preserving our shared history. It has a bustling scholarly ecosystem that connects its work to history, law, literature, philosophy and linguistics. Considering budget constraints and current staffing challenges, these are critical inquiries. How successful are we going to be at reaching these goals in the future?
“Now is the time to ask why an Agency you funded and authorized is being broken down like an empty cardboard box,” – AFGE Local 3403.
The NEH is doing its best to sail through these hazards. Last is the question of how this unprecedented staff reduction will impact its ability to award grants for vital humanities projects all over the United States. The agency’s commitment to providing resources for cultural enrichment hangs in the balance against the backdrop of these deep layoffs.
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