Cash-strapped university to shed 170 full-time jobs

A university facing a multi-million pound deficit is to shed 170 full-time equivalent posts as it tries to save £11m.

University of East Anglia (UEA) Vice-Chancellor, Prof David Maguire, said he was "deeply sorry" to have taken the decision.

Last month the Norwich-based university announced it would be shaving 3% from its budget and could not rule out any compulsory redundancies.

In a statement, Prof Maguire said the decision to cut staff had not "been taken lightly" and would allow it to "save an additional £11m to stay on track with our financial sustainability plan".

Unions said the move was "deeply distressing news" - coming on top of 400 job cuts in 2023 - to staff whose "morale was already low".

Prof Maguire took over as vice-chancellor in May 2023 when the UEA was facing a £45m deficit and many staff then took advantage of a voluntary severance scheme.

"Although long-term finances remain sound, this shortfall has arisen because of inflationary cost pressures and a reduction in international postgraduate numbers, reflected across the sector," Prof Maguire said.

He said the university remained "committed to student education and experience, and we will work hard to limit any impact on students".

The university said staff and students had been updated about the job cuts and staff directly affected had been notified.

"Over the coming weeks, we will continue consultation with our trades unions," said Prof Maguire.

"We have stressed that compulsory redundancies will always be a last resort."

Nick Grant, UEA University and College Union co-chair said the cuts "jeopardise not only the careers of our colleagues, but the reputation and future success of the university".

He said that in 2023, when a £40m deficit was first announced by the UEA, more than 400 staff lost their jobs through voluntary severance or redundancy.

"UEA will not survive or thrive with fewer hardworking staff," he said.

He said the cuts would be felt across all its four faculties, including sciences and health as well as arts and humanities.

He expected those delivering student support, digital and tech staff supporting academic staff, library staff and those helping academics to win bids and bring in revenue would be among those affected.

Accepting most universities were struggling financially, Mr Grant said the UEA was in a worse position.

"We are an outlier in terms of the cuts we've seen recently, in terms of the cuts that we are going to be potentially seeing again," he said.

"I think staff and students are potentially being thrown under a bus because of the historic mismanagement of the institution."