University of East Anglia: Arts bears brunt of faculty staff cuts

A lecturers' union says 31 staff will go from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities

A lecturers' union has confirmed 31 compulsory staff cuts will be made within one university department.

The University of East Anglia (UEA) is facing a multimillion-pound deficit and wants to reduce staff by 113, in addition to those leaving voluntarily.

The University and College Union said 31 of 36 cuts at the university's faculties would fall on Arts and Humanities.

The UEA said all subject areas at the department would be "maintained".

They include the university's hugely successful creative writing course.

The president of the UEA branch of the union, Mark Walmsley, said management should be considering other options, including spreading savings required over two academic years.

"There is a way out of this financial crisis that has been created at UEA that doesn't require compulsory redundancies," said Mr Walmsley.

"We'll be working with the university and, if we have to, taking industrial action, to ensure that we achieve that 'no compulsory redundancy' position."

In its statement, the UEA said: "The university has been very clear that compulsory redundancies remain a last resort.

"To secure UEA's future financial stability, the university needs to make £30m savings by September.

"The student experience remains a key priority for UEA and all students will be supported to complete their studies."

A total of 77 jobs in professional services and faculty professional services form part of the 113 job losses.

• University boss looks to job cuts to slash deficit

• Staff agreeing to quit jobs saves university £6m

• How did a university end up facing a £30m deficit?

Student applications to UEA were down 16% this year compared to 2022, with 2,792 fewer students seeking places at the Norwich-based institution.

In 2021-22, the UEA made a £74m loss.

The students' union council passed a no-confidence vote in the UEA executive team in May.