Up to 250 University of Wolverhampton jobs at risk

A drop in student enrolments and rising costs have cast doubt over the university's future financial sustainability, it has said.

Up to 250 jobs are to be axed at the University of Wolverhampton because of a £20m deficit.

A drop in student enrolments, rising inflation and the Covid-19 pandemic had all impacted its ability to reduce the shortfall, it said.

Employees at the university, which has four campuses across the Black Country and Shropshire, will now enter a consultation period.

Bosses are "committed to treating staff with dignity and respect", it said.

The number of at-risk jobs represents more than a tenth of the workforce, with 2,200 employed at the campuses.

About 100 workers were anticipated to leave through a mutually-agreed resignation scheme, the university explained.

'Loss for thousands'

A "difficult financial landscape" caused by rising costs and falling tuition fee income had cast doubt over its future financial sustainability, a statement said.

The move has been called a "loss for thousands of students" by the University and College Union's (UCU) Wolverhampton branch.

"This is not just a loss for [staff], it's for thousands of students who face the loss of specialist support, opportunities and our experience to help them achieve their full potential," the UCU tweeted.

About 21,362 students are enrolled at the university which dates back to 1827.

Dr Catherine Lamond, chair of UCU negotiating committee, has called the news "devastating".

She said: "It feels like we have already gone down a path we can't get back from.

"There doesn't seem to be a recovery plan for how we come back from the cuts, is it the beginning of the end for the university?"

Since May, 138 courses have been suspended with no new undergrad or postgrad students allowed to apply, the union has said.

Those affected include science courses and others in the School of Performing Arts and School of Arts.