A MAJOR Glasgow university is expanding its job cuts plans to include top academic and research staff.
Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) announced in March that it is set to eliminate 100 jobs in an effort to save £10 million over the next year.
The university said it came after a £33m loss of income over two years amid a sharp drop in international student recruitment and set up a voluntary redundancy scheme for staff working in areas directly affected by this drop.
But it has now emerged that the university will be looking to cut roles in a number of other areas including estates staff, those working at GCU’s London campus, the outreach team that works on widening access for kids from non-traditional backgrounds and research staff – such as professors, research fellows and senior research fellows.
An email from the university’s principal and vice-chancellor Mairi Watson – seen by The National – described them as “structural changes” but stressed that the number of roles set to be affected, approximately 100, “remains unchanged”.
She added: “It is difficult to undertake processes like this, and it is particularly challenging for those directly affected. “ The National also understands that a formal HR1 notification – advance legal notice submitted by an employer when planning collective redundancies – was submitted to the UK Government on Monday morning.
A university spokesperson confirmed the change in scope of the job cuts, adding: “It’s worth noting though that these structural changes shared with staff are also slightly wider and aim to ensure we are operating as efficiently as possible long into the future.
“This will include a reduction in posts in several areas though please note, in the estates element for instance, there won’t be a reduction in posts, while the outreach element involves bringing a number of teams together to reduce fragmentation and duplication of work so we can be more effective.”
The spokesperson added: “Our priority is to support our staff and students while ensuring the university’s long-term sustainability. We are currently undertaking a programme for change following a significant reduction in income from international recruitment.
“As a result, we need to reduce costs, including a planned reduction in posts across a limited number of academic, research and professional services areas. Our overall target of seeking to reduce around 100 posts is unchanged.”
They went on: “Research and our academic staff who contribute to this at GCU are highly valued and ensure the university delivers vital research which benefits the communities, businesses and public sector in Glasgow and beyond.
“We have started a formal consultation process to discuss proposals with affected research staff and our trade union colleagues. We need to respect that process and, accordingly, no final decisions have been made. We strongly encourage affected staff to engage fully in this process, as their insight and expertise are vital in helping to inform the university’s final position.”
“These changes are necessary to return the university to a financially sustainable position, protect the quality of the student experience and outcomes, and ensure GCU continues to serve Glasgow for years to come.”
