Hmm.....The question is, how does a hiring freeze actually protect BU students? The implication seems to be that by not hiring, the university will be avoiding extra costs, which by extension, will not be passed on to students. So does this mean that they're instituting a tuition freeze as well, so that college can remain "affordable"? (Though, of course, BU's tuition is already one of the highest in the country.) Does it mean that the only reason that BU (and nearly every educational institution) raises its tuition every year is to accommodate new hires and new costs - and that they wouldn't do so otherwise? I think that the University has a right to protect itself economically, but I'm skeptical of their claimed altruism towards students and parents.