Brighton protest march against university job cuts

Protesters marched through the centre of Brighton

Students and lecturers have marched through Brighton, East Sussex, in protest at planned redundancies by one of the city's universities.

The University of Brighton wants to shed 110 posts, which staff said will affect the quality of teaching they are able to offer.

In May students occupied the vice-chancellor's administration offices.

The University said it will ensure it has the staff to continue to deliver its full range of courses.

Lecturer Dr Mark Abel said job losses would end up "gutting the provision we're able to offer".

He said: “It means less choice for students, overwork for the remaining colleagues, staff teaching more students so they’re packed into bigger classrooms. We really worry about the demise of the university.

“We’ve seen 15% shrinkage of courses over the past five years and we worry that this isn’t going to be a proper university anymore if this direction continues.”

Dr Mark Abel is concerned for the future of the university

Brighton Kemptown's Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle attended the protest, and said the University of Brighton had been hit particularly hard by widespread cuts to higher education.

"The cuts here are particularly pernicious," he said,.

"They are cutting certain departments to the bone, but they are salami slicing all faculties, and that is making it look like the university will struggle with viability in certain areas."

The protest march follows a sit-in at university admin buildings

A University of Brighton spokesperson said: “These changes are necessary to help the university make financial savings, and are part of our wider strategy to respond to changing student demand for the courses they want to study and the ways in which they want to learn.

"Through this process, we will ensure we have the right staff with the right skills and experience to continue to deliver our full range of courses.

“In a number of areas, we do not anticipate needing to make any compulsory redundancies, which will be used only as a last resort."

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