The cut is required to save $75m next year. A voluntary redundancy round starts immediately with compulsory separations expected to follow
Vice Chancellor Ian Jacobs briefed university staff yesterday on savings to make up expected revenue short-falls in 2021 and 2022.
The situation is largely as he outlined at the beginning of the month (CMM July 3) but now there is a number on the jobs to go.
Just not the whole one. Reductions in casual staff, many of which have already occurred, are a big cut to teaching-strength. Future casual cuts are mentioned in yesterday’s briefing paper under faculty and divisions savings.
What’s happening: After all other savings, the university needs to reduce spending on FTE staff by $75m next year to reach the expected $370m decline. Sources of savings cited are:
* three faculties will be amalgamated– arts and design, arts and social sciences and built environment will become arts, architecture and design. The other existing five faculties and the Canberra campus’s academic organisation continue
* two admin divisions go. External relations and philanthropy combine as external engagement. HR combines with finances and operations. The other four, academic and students, research and enterprise, equity, planning, continue.
* as per the above, two dean and two VP positions are abolished, reducing the university’s senior leadership to 12
What’s next: Voluntary Redundancies are expected to be offered mid-August with staff and union consultation in September. New staffing structures will be implemented in September.
“In the likely event” that the university cannot make target jobs cuts via VRs the university states it will go to “proposed redundancies” as per the Enterprise Agreement process.
Why this way: UNSW has gone straight to the hard option, not asking staff to temporarily give-up conditions and pay-rises in return for job protections. Perhaps this is because they would not have come close to making the savings the university needs, although Monash U, like UNSW heavily dependent on international enrolments, has successfully struck a deal with staff.