Newcastle set to axe around 300 jobs in £20 million staffing cuts

Around 300 jobs are at risk at Newcastle University, which has warned that it cannot rule out compulsory redundancies.

The Russell Group institution confirmed that it was looking to reduce staff costs by £20 million, equating to around 300 full-time equivalent staff members, or 5 per cent of its total pay budget.

The announcement came after a shortfall against projected international student enrolment left Newcastle with a £35 million hole in its budget.

The local University and College Union branch is already balloting for industrial action in response to a range of already-announced cuts, which include a freeze on promotions, restrictions on recruitment, and reductions to travel budgets.

A Newcastle spokesperson said that the latest announcement came “in addition to further reductions in non-pay budgets”.

“We are not immune to the challenges currently affecting the UK higher education sector and like many universities, we have implemented a range of cost-saving measures, to ensure we remain in a sound financial position,” they said.

A voluntary severance scheme is being opened for all staff, and the spokesperson added: “We cannot rule out the possibility of compulsory redundancies, but this would be as a last resort. In case this is needed, we are beginning a process of collective consultation with our trade unions.”

Newcastle added that it “committed to supporting our colleagues throughout this challenging time”, adding “we are being as open and transparent as possible”. “These measures will strengthen our position and enable us to continue delivering world-class education and research for the benefit of our region and beyond.” 

Newcastle is just the latest UK university to announce significant job cuts in recent months as the sector financial crisis grows. Hundreds of jobs are thought to be at risk at Canterbury Christ Church University, Coventry University is proposing to make 92 full-time equivalent academic staff redundant, subject to consultation, around 300 posts are expected to go at the University of Sussex, and the University of East Anglia is axing around 170 jobs.

One vice-chancellor has predicted that around 10,000 jobs could be cut across the UK sector this year.

Speaking previously, Matt Perry, chair of the Newcastle UCU branch, said that managers needed to find a solution to the institution’s troubles “that does not put staff in the firing line”.

“Our members refuse to pay the price for management’s unrealistic projections, bloated salaries, and misspending on buildings; we will be voting for industrial action because the cuts profoundly damage us, our students, and our research,” he said.

Separately, job cuts have been announced at the University of Northampton, which said that it would close entry to six of its undergraduate courses, and seven of its master’s programmes, from September 2025.

A spokesperson said that Northampton would be undertaking a “a full review of our academic portfolio and professional services structure”, which will see “a number of posts be discontinued”. But, they noted, “a significant number of new posts have been created which ‘at-risk’ employees may apply for and be redeployed”.

Northampton said that the institution’s future was “secure due to astute fiscal management and the cost-saving measures adopted by the university in 2024 when the scale of the crisis facing the entire sector took hold”.

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com