Jobs to go at yet another university amid cash cuts
ANOTHER university in Wales has announced job cuts as the higher sector continues to battle a squeeze on funding.
Wrexham Glyndwr University (WGU) has confirmed a restructuring will result in redundancies – but a spokesman could not confirm the scale of the job cuts or the departments targeted.
It is understood academic and non-academic staff are affected by WGU’s cuts. Talks are being held with unions and staff, the university said.
The development follows job losses as part of savings at a number of other universities in Wales and a £28.3m funding cut to Welsh universities next year.
Institutions are facing falling applications, funding cuts and post-Brexit uncertainty possibly affecting research and applications.
In a statement WGU said: “The university is continuing its systematic review of academic and professional staff areas to ensure that the institution remains sustainable, that we improve our processes and portfolio where we can in order to support the student experience, and that we are fit for purpose in the context of numerous strategic and financial challenges.
“It is appreciated that these change processes and other ones across academic and professional services may bring challenges to staff.
“We need to undertake these changes to keep the university healthy and sustainable, and ensure we remain fit for purpose.
“The entire sector is having to deal with cost increases beyond our control, whereas income from student enrolments is dropping and there have been cutbacks in the sector.
“WGU is no exception and we have to respond accordingly, in a measured way so we retain capacity to invest in our future.
“Our staff and trade unions are being kept fully informed via regular updates, and where restructures are taking place the university’s consultation processes are being utilised.”
The university added that intake of full-time undergraduate students for 2017/18 remained stable in spite of a declining market, and that postgraduate registrations have doubled.
Among Wales’ eight universities South Wales, Bangor, Trinity St David, Aberystwyth and Cardiff Metropolitan have all announced job losses as part of spending reviews, while Cardiff University is offering academic staff voluntary severance.
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. Head count will not necessarily reduce and money saved will be ploughed back in, it has promised.
Geoff Edkins, Unison organiser said, “Unison will continue to support our members at Glyndwr University at this very difficult time of restructuring.
“We will do all we can to minimise redundancies and if possible avoid all compulsory redundancies.
“The success of the university relies on the staff working there and clearly we need to ensure high standards are maintained.”
One affected person, who did not want to be identified, said: “This is a sad time for staff and their families at Christmas who are facing the threat of redundancy.”