University offers staff voluntary severance

CARDIFF University is offering academic staff voluntary severance in a move it says will enable it to focus on strategic priorities.

The development follows redundancies as part of savings at a number of other universities in Wales and a £28.3m funding cut to Welsh universities next year.

Cardiff, which has more than 30,000 students and is the only Welsh university in the elite Russell Group, insists its scheme is not part of any savings package. Headcount will not necessarily be reduced and money saved will be ploughed back in.

But it admitted that the climate is not easy.

Across the sector institutions are grappling with falling applications, funding cuts and post-Brexit uncertainty, possibly affecting research and applications.

Confirming it is offering all academic staff among its total 7,000 workforce the opportunity to apply for voluntary severance, the university said in a statement: “Cardiff University is sustainable and financially sound. However, the higher education sector as a whole is facing a challenging period financially. In this climate, and as an ambitious university, it is important that we regularly review the way we work in order to meet our strategic priorities.

“As such, Cardiff University is offering eligible academic staff an opportunity to apply for severance under an entirely voluntary scheme. The scheme won’t necessarily mean a reduction in headcount. Its aim is to enable the university to continue to invest in staffing and infrastructure in support of our strategic priorities.”

Applications will only be agreed if they do not have a negative effect on teaching, learning or research priorities, a spokesman said.

The scheme is open to academic members of staff who have at least two years’ continuous service in research, teaching and scholarship,

They have until December 13 to apply. It is understood the university does not have a target number of applications it is seeking.

Those who have formally expressed their intention to retire in the next 12 months and those whose jobs are not expected to continue for another two years will not be considered.

As voluntary severance is a termination of contract by mutual consent and not a redundancy scheme, no redundancy entitlements apply.

But under the scheme, those with two to seven years’ service will get six months’ gross salary, rising to 12 months for staff with seven or more years of service.

Four of the eight universities, South Wales, Bangor, Trinity St David and Aberystwyth are all reviewing spending.

Bangor says it must make cuts of £8.5m and unions have said they fear 170 jobs could go.