When I first read the e-mail about the hiring freeze, it reminded me of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. There are many Willys seeking to work at the university whose aspirations for themselves and their families will not be met because of this hiring freeze, I thought. My knee-jerk reaction was to conclude that it is a sad world we live in, especially during these sub-prime market times, and people are ineluctably let down by their fantasies and dreams.
I considered the nature of the message appropriate, though. I believe that e-mail is the best mode of communication to transmit sobering news such as the hiring freeze. Conveying the message on a web or video log would not be appropriate because of the forums' informality. E-mail helps both the messenger and the recipient when such emotional news is delivered in a detached yet formal and serious way. It gives the former party freedom from having to answer too many tough questions and the latter more time to emotionally digest the significance of the message.
I would not prescribe a different means of communication in the event of more hiring freezes. I would, however, like an explanation for how long the university thinks it will freeze new hires. While I am in favor of the freeze so that the university can shore up its bottom line (which I am sure was a factor in the decision), I believe it would behoove the university to send a clearer message the next time it acts. If officials view being too informative as a liability or an impingement on their private pecuniary concerns, perhaps a town hall meeting should have been called to explain in fuller detail the e-mail communicating the basics of the university's new policy.
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