Cardiff University has announced a final update on its controversial cuts programme - the case which will go to the full council on June 17 for consideration.Â
With a further 151 full time academic posts lost through voluntary redundancy since its last update the university said it is now looking to shed 69 full time academic posts to deliver its revised 220 target, but more cuts are on the way.
The UCU union said 400 posts are still under scope for reduncancy and that it had serious concerns about what it described as "rushed, undercooked and premature plans to restructure the university".
In an update to staff this lunchtime Vice Chancellor Professor Wendy Larner said despite the proposals saving an estimated £28m: "These savings do not fully close the financial gap, and further work will be required, including diversifying our income streams and reducing professional services and estates costs."
Her update confirmed again the proposed closures of the ancient history, religion and theology departments and retaining the schools of nursing, modern languages and music, but with smaller numbers of students. Sign up for our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.
The number of academic schools will be cut through closures and mergers from 24 to 16 and staff to student ratios will be lower, the update adds.
The university originally announced 400 job cuts when it unveiled a huge savings plan in January, but that number has fallen to 69 as staff leave through voluntary redundancy and non-filling of vacant posts.
Bosses announced a u-turn on widely opposed plans to shut its music and modern languages departments last month following a decision not to close its nursing school, as originally planned. The about turn on keeping all three of these departments follows a massive backlash against the cuts with the Welsh Government calling on bosses to use reserves and high-profile backing for the music school from stars such as Sir Elton John, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Stormzy.
On jobs Professor Larner's message to staff today adds: "The initial target for reduction in academic staff FTE was 400. Acceptance of alternative proposals that involved retaining staff capacity to deliver Cardiff-based programmes and new enterprises such as our transnational erducation partnerships reduced the target to 220 FTE. 151 academic staff FTE have left the university voluntarily, meaning that we now need 69 academic staff FTE to deliver the 220 FTE target."
Professor Larner said that if agreed the proposals will:
- deliver a gross saving per annum of £20 million, and a net saving of £14.1m
- in combination with the wider voluntary severance scheme, deliver gross savings of £28.4m and net savings of £22.5m.
But even that won't be enough and non-academic staff cuts as well as savings on estate costs will be needed.
A Cardiff UCU branch spokesperson said: "It is welcome that under threat of industrial action and massive staff, student, and community opposition the university executive board has U-turned on some of its more damaging proposals. But our members remain deeply disappointed that, despite hundreds of meetings with staff, management are still not fully hearing our concerns and are ploughing ahead in the same old macho way.
"The rosy picture painted by management today ignores many serious problems. For instance: More than 400 staff currently remain in scope for redundancy. Whole schools and programmes are still being needlessly axed; others remain a shadow of their former selves because of staff lost to voluntary redundancy.
"Departments are being bundled together in hurried, untransparent, and risky ways; professional services support staffing is in chaos because of a separate, equally damaging restructuring exercise and there is an epidemic of poor staff mental health caused by the mismanagement of these cuts."
The spokesperson added that it was risky to link the plan to brand new transnational education schemes like the Cardiff University Kazakhstan campus due to open next term.
"We fully agree that change is needed to keep the University financially viable, but we continue to make the case that this kind of short, high-risk timeline for change is avoidable and that we have the resources to restructure in a more measured and prudent fashion. Instead of passing these proposals on the nod, Council should do its job and recommend a more reasonable period of reform, reducing risks to the university's reputation, academic sustainability, staff wellbeing, and student satisfaction."
Universities around Wales and the º£½ÇÊÓƵ are all facing financial pressure. They blame static home tuition fees, falling numbers of higher paying international students, rising costs, an increase in National Insurance and tighter visa restrictions for international students wanting to bring dependents to the º£½ÇÊÓƵ with them.
