Management has accepted 79 applications for voluntary redundancy from 142 expressions of interest

This leaves management short of the 190 FTE departures needed between 2020 and 2022 to get the budget back in black by 2023.

But this does not mean 110 people who don’t want to leave will be told to go, at least not now.

VC Peter Dawkins tells staff, “it is still too early to say what the next phase will involve.

“We do not intend to rush into a further phase of substantial staff reductions, without reviewing the full implications of this voluntary separation phase. Further, additional consultation will occur before any further staff reductions will be implemented.”

Professor Dawkins probably means the consultation before a staff restructure, mandated by the VU enterprise agreement. Unless he is contemplating another go at talking to the union about an agreed proposal for a temporary cut in wages/conditions to protect jobs. Any such proposal would need to be passed by a staff voted. Talks for such failed in September (CMM September 25).

Whatever Professor Dawkins is thinking you can bet its in-line with what incoming VC Adam Shoemaker wants to do. The former is retiring and the latter arrives next month (CMM August 27).