Bournemouth University ‘devastated’ as 200 jobs put at risk

Bournemouth University has said it is “deeply saddened and devastated” after telling staff it has to make 200 job cuts.

The south coast university told employees on 27 March that it had begun a formal consultation on a proposed restructure that would involve a reduction in the number of staff posts, affecting both academic and professional services roles.

About 200 jobs have been put at risk at an institution that employs roughly 1,700 full-time equivalent staff, according to the latest Higher Education Statistics Agency data.

“Like many other universities in the UK, we are facing financial pressures, with rising operational costs and an increasingly competitive environment for student recruitment,” a spokesperson said.

“We must make the difficult decisions now to be in the best size and shape for the future and to adapt to the changing market for higher education.”

In its most recent financial accounts, the university recorded a surplus of about £6 million and a small increase in cash of £400,000 despite what it said had been a “disappointing” recruitment period and having faced “significant” restructuring costs.

William Proctor, the chair of the Bournemouth UCU branch, said this showed the institution was “healthy and solvent” but added the same document had projected growth of 3.6 per cent a year, which had not materialised.

Any problems the university were now facing were a result of “irresponsible and overly optimistic projections that can only be described as complacent,” said Proctor.

“To expect staff to shoulder the burden for the folly of senior management will not stand, and UCU will respond by balloting our members for industrial action,” Proctor said. “We stand in solidarity with other branches fighting vampiric cuts across the UK and ask the Labour government to attend to our precious higher education sector.”

Universities across the country have been hit by rising costs at a time of declining international recruitment and steep competition for domestic students.

The coming tuition fee rise to £9,535 has been more than offset by hikes in the national insurance contributions that employers have to pay. The University and College Union has put the estimated number of job losses so far at 5,000, although the actual number is thought to be higher.

“We are deeply saddened and devastated that we may have to lose around 200 hardworking and valued members of staff from across our academic faculties and professional services,” the Bournemouth spokesperson said.

“We will do everything we can to avoid compulsory redundancies and through our staff consultation we will be providing a voluntary redundancy scheme.”

The university said that the “well-being of our staff continues to be a priority” and reassured students that their studies would not be affected.

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com