Staff spoke and it seems management listened

With demand down 70 per cent Uni Queensland management told staff of the Institute for Continuing and TESOL Education that 46 of 87 positions would end – casual staff are already largely gone (CMM July 28 and August 25).

This struck staff as “short-sighted and extreme,” ending the university’s capacity to serve the market post-COVID.

The university’s response was to put on-hold disestablishing the 22 teaching and academic manager positions, “in light of higher than forecasted student numbers for the remainder of the calendar year.” What happens next will be discussed in fourth-quarter when there is “greater clarity” on student numbers for next year.

And while management at first intended to proceed to abolish the 24 targeted admin positions this also appears delayed. Yes, a final proposal will be issued, which will be followed by a ten-day consultation, but there is “no precise date” for the document.