Word is that staff in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education are told they can only use 10 per cent of their Academic Pursuits Fund this year

University of New England has long had a policy whereby academics deposit money into their APF, earned from consulting and similar, and spend it on research costs, conferences and the like.

But not on much of anything this year. Word is that management attributes the need to keep the lid on to the budget impact of an enrolment decline in the faculty. CMM asked Dean of HASSE Jane Edwards asked about this and received a response from corporate comms, “UNE will not be commenting on how our faculties manage their annual operating budgets.”

That UNE can cap outlays appears beyond doubt, the APF policy states that accounts are university funds – but staffers respond people have plans to use their accounts now, or they did until this week.

It’s an ominous indication of what could be in store, given enterprise bargaining is about to start. Management’s log of claims and a statement on university financials are both said to be imminent.