Concern raises amongst students and staff of Cardiff University, as plans
are revealed by the most popular Welsh university to cut up to 400
full-time jobs due to issues with funding.
On top of this, some courses may be dropped altogether or merged with other
courses.
In a BBC article, these measures were described by The Cardiff University
and College Union (UCU) as “cruel and unnecessary.”
Lack of funding
The university told the BBC that the cuts were only to be made “if
absolutely necessary.” However, the lack of funding isn’t being helped by
the
decrease of international student
applications and increasing cost pressures.
The latest announcement
Vice-chancellor Professor Wendy Larner has announced that amongst the
courses and schools affected are nursing, modern languages, music, ancient
history, translation, religion and theology. So far, the proposal has
suggested closure for a 90-day consultation period.
Financial Outlook for other UK universities
Commenting on the financial outlook for UK universities on the whole,
CEO Today
said: “The OfS previously projected that 40% of universities would operate
at a financial deficit during the 2023-24 academic year. However, this
figure is expected to rise to 72% by 2025-26, with an anticipated total
deficit of £1.6 billion across the sector.”
This statistic suggests that more universities may make the headlines soon
with similar issues to those that Cardiff University are currently facing.
The Tab reported that “a concerningly large number of UK unis have already
announced they’ll be cutting back on staff in 2025, including Lancaster
University, the University of Kent, the University of East Anglia (UEA) and
the University of Reading.” With Russell Group unis also having to cut back
on staffing too.
How might the funding issue be resolved
A few months ago, The Guardian suggested that UK universities were
increasing their fees and ask for more funding in the face of budget cuts.
The issues caused by these budget cuts is now becoming more apparent as
live updates of the Cardiff University cut backs start to surface.
