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Harvard Kennedy School Dean Jeremy M. Weinstein wrote in a Thursday afternoon email to HKS affiliates that sweeping changes in Washington — including funding cuts and mass layoffs — would demand “introspection and action” from the school.

Weinstein announced that HKS is undertaking a strategic review to develop its vision for the next ten years alongside a series of initiatives to support graduates and study the rapid reshaping of American institutions under President Donald Trump.

Though Weinstein held back from directly criticizing Trump’s administration, he wrote that actions taken by the United States government had disrupted HKS research and jeopardized the careers of HKS graduates.

He wrote that recent changes had impacted “students who attend HKS on federal government scholarships,” and alumni in public service who “have had their careers and lives upended.”

An HKS spokesperson declined to comment whether students’ federal government scholarships had been revoked.

The Trump administration has fired thousands of workers — mainly probationary workers who have been employed for less than two years — in an unprecedented effort to downsize the federal government. (A judge ruled some of the mass firings illegal on Thursday, shortly after Weinstein’s email was sent.)

A Wednesday memo from senior officials threatened even broader cuts, ordering that federal agencies submit plans to “initiate large-scale reductions in force” by March 13.

Weinstein wrote that the Kennedy School’s Office for Career Advancement would expand their offerings for alumni in response to the federal upheaval, hosting one-on-one coaching sessions for public servants “most acutely affected.”

The Kennedy School will also launch a new campaign to celebrate the successes of alumni, entitled “This Work Matters,” inviting graduates to submit videos sharing their career experiences.

Weinstein also announced a new competitive grant program to fund research projects by HKS affiliates focused on democratic institutions and the rapid changes currently consuming Washington.

“Questions about how to revitalize democracy, strengthen civil society, and improve the performance of government have never been more important,” he wrote.

He also previewed a new alumni event series that would host HKS faculty discussions on the future of “democracy, economic policy, international security, global development, and more.”

Weinstein wrote that the new initiatives were part of an effort to review the Kennedy School’s “mission, offerings, and aspirations” and guide the creation of a 10-year “vision and strategy” for the institution.

In September, Weinstein reshuffled top administrative positions and held conversations with stakeholders to evaluate changes at the school. The next month, after Weinstein announced a pause on faculty hiring for the rest of the academic year, an HKS spokesperson wrote that he was speaking with faculty to “help develop strategy on many issues related to the future of the school.”

But Thursday’s announcement indicates that Weinstein’s outreach is part of a larger effort to use his deanship to shape HKS for more than a decade moving forward.

He will solicit input from across HKS through faculty-led task forces, a collaboration with the Kennedy School Student Government, and alumni engagement events, he wrote.

“This process will ensure that as we rise to today’s challenges, we continue to set the standard for policy education, research, and practice in the years ahead,” he wrote.

—Staff writer Elise A. Spenner can be reached at elise.spenner@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @EliseSpenner.

—Staff writer Will P. Cottiss can be reached at will.cottiss@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X at @WillPCottiss.