Democratic lawmakers and higher ed groups voiced concerns that the firings would leave the agency without enough people to carry out key functions.
The shuttering of seven civil rights enforcement offices means thousands of cases impacting colleges in half the nation are up in the air.
Cuts to contracts, staff and civil rights probes might backfire, leading to less oversight and more mismanagement, education experts warn.
The Ivy League institution’s officials emphasized that the move was temporary and meant to “preserve our financial flexibility.”