Fears for hundreds of uni jobs due to funding gap

Over 100 members of staff have already taken voluntary redundancy at the university

Meetings are being held with staff and unions amid concern that hundreds of jobs are under threat at Cardiff University.

Academic departments have been summoned to briefings with managers with speculation that some departments could be merged and subjects affected.

Chair of the University and College Union (UCU) Cymru Estelle Hart said there had been a "lack of communication" by university bosses which was causing "anxiety" to staff.

A Cardiff University spokesperson said that staff and students would be the first to know if any changes were proposed.

The university had previously said it had to take action to address a £30m black hole in its budget with the pressure of increased costs and falling international student numbers affecting the whole higher education sector.

An offer of voluntary severance between June and September 2024 was taken up and approved for 155 staff and a second round closed earlier this month.

But the latest announcement is set to go further with staff fearing that "hundreds" more jobs will go from the 7,000 strong workforce.

Refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies, Vice-Chancellor Wendy Larner said in the autumn that the university would develop new sources of income and different ways of delivering courses as well as looking at usage of the university's buildings.

She said the university would also be looking for international partnerships and in December 2024 it announced that there were discussions about opening its first overseas branch in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

Staff in departments across the university have received invitations to meetings to discuss "academic futures".

One email said: "I appreciate that a meeting of this kind will cause anxiety" referring staff to an Employee Assistance Programme for support, should they need it.

Speaking on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Estelle Hart from UCU Cymru said management at Cardiff University had "caused speculation by not communicating".

"I think it's fair to say the sector's in crisis but what we've seen in Cardiff is a real lack of engagement with alternatives from the management.

"Sending emails out inviting people to meetings seemingly without any pre-warning is going to cause such anxiety."

Large scale "town hall" meetings are also planned for this week.

A Cardiff University spokesperson said: "We do not comment on speculation or anonymous claims. If any changes are proposed, then our staff and students will be first to be informed".

"We will not be offering further comment, at this stage," the spokesperson added.

The Welsh government has said that university tuition fees will rise to £9,535 a year from September 2025, in line with an increase in fees for English universities announced by the UK government.

Cardiff University is the largest in Wales with 32,725 students in 2023.

It is a member of the Russell group of 24 leading and research-intensive institutions, often considered to be the most elite in the country.

Other universities across Wales and the UK have been cutting staff in an attempt to address deficits in their budgets.

Staff at another Russell group institution, Newcastle University, are being balloted for strike action as the university attempts to plug a £35m shortfall.

But there have been warnings that fee increases will not resolve the financial problems faced by universities.