Two prestigious universities, Cardiff and Durham, are facing financial difficulties and have announced significant job cuts. These announcements highlight the growing financial strain on the higher education sector, even after a recent tuition fee increase.
Two prestigious universities, Cardiff and Durham, have announced significant job cuts in an attempt to address growing financial challenges within the higher education sector. Cardiff University plans to eliminate 400 positions and discontinue certain degree programs, while Durham University aims to reduce its professional services staff by 200. These announcements follow a similar move by Newcastle University, another member of the Russell Group , which recently announced 300 job losses .
The cuts across these prominent institutions highlight the widespread financial difficulties faced by the sector, even with the recent tuition fee increase.At Cardiff, potential closures include programs in ancient history, modern languages and translation, music, nursing, and religion and theology. The university seeks to reduce its workforce by seven percent, potentially resorting to compulsory redundancies. Officials attributed the decision to a funding shortfall exacerbated by declining international student applications and rising operational costs. It is believed that new visa restrictions imposed by the previous Conservative government, limiting the ability of international students to bring dependents, are contributing to the decline in applications.Durham University aims to reduce staff costs by £10 million this year, potentially impacting around 200 professional services positions. The university plans to offer a voluntary severance scheme but has not ruled out compulsory measures. Durham's recent financial reports revealed an underlying operating deficit of £8 million. The University and College Union (UCU) has expressed strong opposition to the job cuts at both Cardiff and Durham, planning to ballot members for strike action at Cardiff and initiate formal dispute procedures at Durham. UCU representatives condemned the cuts, emphasizing their detrimental impact on the universities, the respective cities, Wales, and their members. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Wales expressed particular concern regarding Cardiff University's proposal to close its School of Nursing, highlighting the existing nursing shortage in Wales and the potential negative consequences for the future of nursing in the country.The announcements follow a decision by the Labour government to increase tuition fees by £285 to £9,535 for the current academic year, prompted by warnings of financial instability within universities. Prior to this increase, tuition fees had been frozen for seven years, failing to keep pace with rising costs. Universities have increasingly relied on international students, who typically pay higher fees, to subsidize the education of home students. Last week, Newcastle University announced 300 job cuts to save £20 million in staffing costs, and other universities, including Coventry, Sussex, and East Anglia, have also announced plans to reduce their workforce.
UNIVERSITY CUTS HIGHER EDUCATION FINANCIAL CRISIS TUITION FEES RUSSELL GROUP INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS JOB LOSSES
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