Management expects to be down $700m through to 2025 – this is the response

Yesterday Griffith U presented staff with its proposal to deal with what it attributed to the impact of COVID-19 and the government’s new undergraduate funding model.

Jobs to go: The university proposal specifies 299 positions, 111 via voluntary retirement and 188 to be made redundant. Management says VRs “would be offered in targeted areas only.” Some staff whose work is to be outsourced will be able to compete it for against outside tenders.

Restructures: Portfolios specified for new models are academic/student support and enabling and professional services. Academic units in health are to be consolidated and research restructured in arts, education, law and the sciences.

Management also proposes, “exit and rescaling of disciplines, sub-disciplines, programmes and courses.”  There would be a “rebalance of academic work profiles primarily towards greater teaching intensity.”

Consultation is open until November 27.

Reaction: The National Tertiary Education Union warned last night that the majority of jobs to go will be professional staff who “make the university work. … This will have a significant negative impact on the student experience.”  Queensland state secretary Michael McNally added academic staff would also be moved to teaching-intensive roles.

“These cuts are arbitrary and unnecessary,” union branch president Garry McSweeney added.