Canberra's prestigious Australian National University will cut a further 215 staff in a bid to slash spending during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Up to 250 staff have already taken voluntary redundancies but further cuts are needed over the next nine months.
ANU has confirmed it will initially seek further voluntary redundancies but will proceed to forced cuts if necessary.
There are also reports the University of NSW will make 256 staff redundant as it deals with similar cost pressures.
ANU is seeking to cut spending by more than $100 million a year until 2023.
In an open letter to staff on Wednesday, vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt said while many sacrifices had already been made, it hadn't been enough.
"The stark reality is: we need to save money, and this will mean spending a lot less, both on our non-salary expenditure, but also on salaries," he wrote.
"This is not a course of action we wanted to take, but it is our only viable option going forward if we want to remain a sustainable, stable university.
"The need for our university and its mission is clear, and we must make sure we can deliver on that mission, and not be a hollowed-out shell of our former selves."
ANU will also look to limit use of consultants and contractors, reduce travel and pursue flexible working arrangements.
The university's council says it is on track to meet its target of retaining $250 million - the equivalent of three months' operational expenses - by the end of 2020 to ensure it can pay its expenses including salaries and bills.
