AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE

Princeton, New Jersey-based Educational Testing Service, the iconic private educational testing and assessment organization, has announced a major reduction in force as it concludes its contract with the State of California. The work will be assumed by Durham, North Carolina-based Measurement Incorporated.

The reduction in force will impact 757 California employees, most of whom work remotely, effective December 31, 2025.

According to a company statement, “These individuals were all given the opportunity to apply for roles and continue performing their work with the new vendor. This change is part of an operational shift and does not represent a discontinuation of the work or services provided.”

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT ACCELERED

Bethesda, Maryland-based AccelerEd, a subsidiary of UMGC Ventures (University of Maryland Global Campus) that offers expert consulting on digital learning systems, has announced the closure of its Bethesda office as it continues to reintegrate with UMGC.

The closure will impact 108 employees, with layoffs to be completed by Dec. 31, 2025. This is the second layoff following 57 employees laid off on October 15, 2025.

UMGC President Gregory Fowler stated, “The final report has been completed, and pending the receipt of appropriate notifications and approvals, UMGC intends to reintegrate Ventures and AccelerEd back into the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). ”

According to published reports, UMGC contracted with AccelerEd to build a new student information system, an IT project that went over budget and past its timeline. The product was 'ultimately determined to be unusable and abandoned' — after the university already paid $25.7 million to Ventures, auditors said."

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Stanford, California-based Stanford University, a prestigious private research university, has announced a mass reduction in its workforce based on rising costs and changes in federal funding policies, including a steep revision to the endowment tax.

The reduction will impact 363 employees across various departments, including administrative services, research, facilities, communications, libraries, marketing, and student services.

Management's memo...

Dear faculty and staff,

As we wrote last month, the university is making a $140 million reduction in the general funds budget for the upcoming year. This is the product of a challenging fiscal environment shaped in large part by federal policy changes affecting higher education.

Over the last few days, many schools and units at Stanford have made staff reductions. The university is providing support resources as well as layoff benefits to eligible employees. Nonetheless, these are difficult actions that affect valued colleagues and friends who have made important contributions to Stanford.

We also know that many of you will need to make adjustments going forward as a result of budget cuts. Thank you for your hard work, for your support of your colleagues, and for all of your efforts to support our vital ongoing mission of research and education.

Sincerely,

Jon Levin, President

Jenny Martinez, Provost

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?