Uni Newcastle restructure savings

The switch to a college structure means the loss of 12.9 FTE positions 

In August management announced it would move from five faculties to three colleges and yesterday it set out resulting savings in a proposal sent to staff.

They aren’t enormous – $2.4m recurrent. They will come in part from a reduction of 12.9 FTE professional staff positions, with no reduction in fixed-term and on-going academic roles. The university made no mention of casually employed staff. Other elements of the savings are “streamlining” academic management and changes to funding models.

Vice Chancellor Alex Zelinsky says the university’s “focus has been building strong teams: not “seeking to drastically reduce staff numbers.”

Not much comfort for people fearing their jobs could go.