University to lose 30 academic staff in compulsory redundancies

09/09/2024

Ellen Morris chats with the University Executive Board on finances; academic staff redundancies, union relations, external debt, the King’s Manor move and more.

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Image by Josh Haining

By Ellen Morris

Today, Nouse was invited to a press conference with the University Executive Board (UEB) headed by the Vice Chancellor, Charlie Jeffery and the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Students, Tracy Lightfoot to discuss the University’s finances.

Sat around the round table with YSTV and Vision, Nouse began the discussion about the targeted redundancies scheme for minimising the amount of staff at the University, asking if they will all be voluntary, or if they plan for compulsory redundancies. Charlie Jeffery referred to the recent announcement of the ‘compulsory redundancy scheme’ that has followed the aforementioned ‘voluntary severance scheme’ where staff went through two rounds of severance. The target numbers for redundancies were met for professional services, but not met for academic staff; the University needed to let more academic staff go. To read about the redundancies of 413 staff already, you can read our article ‘413 University staff to lose jobs‘. In order to make the savings, the ‘compulsory redundancy scheme’ will require 30 (2% of) academic staff within 6 areas of the University to leave.

The scheme is currently in the 'collective consultation phase' where “they talk to staff that have been affected by this” or in other words, those that are being considered for redundancy. In that phase they have a ‘voluntary redundancy scheme’ where staff have the option to leave - these staff would receive an ‘exit package’ which is higher than the compulsory redundancy package.

The plan is for staff to not leave the University until May next year, a “long process which is carefully considered where individuals, groups and trade unions all have the opportunity to add their views and challenge the ideas set out”.

The next question Nouse posed questioned how the University’s financial plans are to grow York’s research, but how will they do that whilst cutting academic staff? Charlie Jeffery replied that in the last 12 months, there have been £360 million research grant applications, which should “probably” turn into research grant rewards. He states that he does not think they are compromising research by making these academics redundant; “some areas may have been really important research 10 years ago, but may not be so important now, whilst other areas coming up are”.

Nouse queried the relationship with unions, such as UCU. Jeffrey states he is “involved with regular conversation with the UCU and is often informed before the wider University community, sometimes before senior leaders.” He claims that the level of engagement with UCU is “unusual” in the sector. Lightfoot reflects on the semesterisation process, and works alongside UCU throughout this, including making a workload action plan with them.

Vision followed up by asking if there is a recovery plan for these academics and staff in the future. Jeffery states, “we aren’t ending these areas, we are reducing them”. He begins to justify the schemes through inflation rates that have added about 20% to the University’s running costs - roughly £45 million. Also, the last government produced measures which affected international student recruitment causing an expectation of £40 million less income than 2 to 3 years ago.

Tracy Lightfoot continued on to talk about the study body response to the changes in staff. She addresses concerns on modules being cut, but emphasises that core modules will not be cut; just optional modules, where there might only be 3 students in the module, as this does not provide an adequate student learning experience.

Nouse next asked whether the University will be using methods such as cutting library hours or cutting catering within halls. Jeffery answered that they look at patterns of use of facilities and services; if those patterns of use are not stacking up, they must be adjusted. He points to the prior adjustment from 24-hour library times due to very few students using it, and how changes will be in response to how people use the facilities. The answer indicates that only unused facilities and services will be cut - so we best keep going to the library during the day.

The next question concerned the alleged debt that the University is in and whether this is putting financial pressure on the University. “The pressures we are facing at the moment have nothing to do with debt, it’s about costs and revenues”. “Debt is an absolutely normal way of running a University - we couldn’t build buildings without picking up debt... it’s very difficult to generate enough surplus from year-to-year activity to generate a big surplus”. When asked when they are due to make significant repayments, he details that these loans are taken out long-term and typically, the University “will build a fund to repay and/or take out new debt to extend the debt forward”.

Vision brings up the postponed Student Centre, meant to be finished in 2025. Charlie Jeffery answers that when inflation costs went up, and international student finances went down, they felt it was prudent to postpone the Student Centre. “We will get back to that as soon as we are in a stronger position”. Tracey Lightfoot begins to mention the impact on societies who were planning to use this space, including URY, YSTV, and rooms for a theatre and dance studio.

Taking a slight detour, Nouse asked if the financial pressure has impacted any decisions surrounding cutting ties with arms manufacturers.”That’s a very separate process.” Their responsible investment process renews each few years, with this one ending in Spring. Jeffery acknowledges Pierrick Roger, ex-York SU President, as a prominent figure in this change, but insists that the finance issues have no interlinking with this cut of ties.

Vision asked about King’s Manor shutting for financial reasons - read Nouse’s breaking news for this on our website, ‘University of York to move out of King’s Manor’. Jeffery states that it is an “absolutely wonderful piece of heritage” but is “extremely expensive to run and extremely expensive to maintain”. He also comments that since it was built several centuries ago, they were not built for today’s accessibility requirements, and it has become increasingly difficult to cater to all staff and student needs”.

Nouse brought up the concerns from disabled students that have reached out to us following the news of the move. Jeffrey summarised, accessibility is easier to mitigate for students on-campus rather than in King’s Manor and “if a student has a disability, we have a responsibility to respond to it and to mitigate it”. Lightfoot added that there is an ongoing activity to look at accessibility on campus, working with a group of individuals to make sure campus routes are accessible for wheelchair users.