In a further sign of how the recession is battering colleges, Duquesne University yesterday notified employees that it is freezing pay, explaining that student deposits so far are down for the fall.

The university has approximately 2,350 employees. The move, announced in an e-mail by Duquesne President Charles J. Dougherty, applies to faculty and staff not covered by collective bargaining agreements.

Workers would normally expect raises upon the July 1 start of the new fiscal year, said Bridget Fare, a Duquesne spokeswoman.

The president said the school has seen an increase of 18 percent in its freshman applicant pool this year and a 23 percent increase in graduate school applications.

"However, as of the latest report, fewer students have committed ... by way of deposit than at this point last year," he wrote.

"Other universities are experiencing the same phenomenon" he added. "This may be due to families waiting longer to make final decisions on college selections as they monitor the impact of the economic situation on their own lives."

The memo did not indicate the amount that deposits are off, and Ms. Fare said she did not know the figure. The president said the school is "cautiously optimistic" that deposits will recover and that Duquesne will have a freshman class comparable in size to its average the last five years. The school has approximately 10,000 students.

A number of other campuses, including the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, have announced similar freezes.