University to cut jobs to save £30m from budget

A university is to cut jobs in a bid to save £30m in the wake of rising costs and a drop in international student numbers.

The University of Lancaster said there were no plans to close any departments and it hoped to reduce staff by voluntary redundancy.

But it said it could not rule out compulsory job losses.

Lancaster City councillors said they had "grave concerns" about the job losses.

The university employs the full-time equivalent of 1,300 academic staff and 1,700 professional services staff.

Almost 40% of full-time research and teaching staff are non-British, and it recruits staff from over 60 countries and has students from 142 countries.

The university has around 10,000 students from Great Britain and the EU, with another 3,000 from overseas.

A university spokesperson said it "achieved significant savings on non-payroll and through a voluntary severance scheme this year".

But the spokesperson added: "Unfortunately our financial projections show that payroll savings of about £30m are required over the next academic year to ensure our ongoing financial sustainability."

The University Executive Board has proposed a plan to ensure its "future size and shape is sustainable, while also enabling the university to continue to thrive".

This plan is being shared with staff and "recognised" trade unions.

The spokesperson said it is not "planning to reduce payroll costs through the closure of academic departments".

"Proposed savings have been identified to achieve strategic efficiencies which will be shared across all academic departments and professional services".

"Our preference has always been to achieve these changes through voluntary means... we can't rule out the possibility of compulsory redundancies as a last resort," the spokesperson added.

The university said it was in a "better financial position than some other universities", which had "bought us time to work through strategic options" that would "ensure that research and the student experience is prioritised and protected".

Councillors highlighting the potential impact on staff, students and the wider district's economy at council meeting on Wednesday.

Green council leader Caroline Jackson said: "I guess we knew this might happen. I have great concerns about the loss of jobs."

Labour Councillor Sandra Thornberry added: "We used to have a representative on the university council. But the city council lost its seat.

"However, would the university re-accept a representative? The university is a major employer and how it works is very important for the area, for students, for staff, and local businesses."

Ms Jackson said she would ask the city council's chief executive to pass on the request to the university.

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