Macquarie U wants to hear more from staff about VR

Last week management asked staff if they want a voluntary redundancy scheme. It’s still asking, extending consultation to September 6. Learned readers suggest the question staff want answered is how many VRs would it take to stop compulsory redundancies.

UNDA wants people to go but no word on how many

 University of Notre Dame Australia needs to save $15m on recurrent salaries and proposes a VR scheme. Its subject to consultation with staff and the campus branch of the National Tertiary Education Union, but management is keen to get going – hoping to open it on Tuesday.

There is no faulting VC Francis Campbell for frankness. He does not use COVID-19 as cover for cutting but says UNDA has the highest staffing budget in HE, 67 per cent of turnover last year and he wants it down. A $15m reduction will reduce the salary spend “closer to” 60 per cent in 2021 – the HE sector average is 54 per cent. “We must do more to ensure our future financial sustainability in the coming years,” Professor Campbell says.