Further education facing unprecedented crisis union warns

Thousands of jobs are at risk in higher education as the sector faces an “unprecedented crisis” amid escalating disputes, it is being warned.

The University and College Union (UCU) launched a “stop the cuts” campaign after its research suggested that more than 5,000 jobs could be axed.

The union said that so far this academic year, university employers have announced their intention to cut thousands of jobs, while at least five other universities have asked staff to quit.

The sector has announced more than £238 million of cuts and declared deficits of at least £30 million, said the UCU.

The union said courses were under threat of being axed at a number of universities, including nursing, chemistry, business and languages.

UCU members are involved in industrial action in a number of areas.

The union said the Welsh and Scottish governments have stepped in to provide tens of millions of pounds in emergency university funding.

The Westminster government should launch a root-and-branch review of poor university governance structures and “outrageously high” vice-chancellor salaries, which it said averaged £325,000.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “UK higher education is on its knees with thousands of jobs set to disappear from across the sector, this will be hugely damaging to students, and some courses are already disappearing.

“Our union is winning ballots and fighting to protect jobs and course provisions for current students and future generations, but the cuts university bosses are trying to force through threaten provision across the country, and with it, the sector’s world-leading position.

“Unless the UK government steps in, as the Welsh and Scottish governments have, this may just be the tip of the iceberg. We need an emergency fund to protect jobs and courses in the short term. Then the government must begin looking at a new public model to fund and regulate the sector.”

A Universities UK spokesperson said: “The financial challenges facing universities in all four nations of the UK are real and serious. It is the responsibility of university leaders to ensure that they remain financially strong. This has meant that vice chancellors have had to take some extremely tough decisions. Universities UK is leading a major Transformation and Efficiency Taskforce to support them as they do this.

“Beyond this, while the recent uplift in home student fees in England and Wales was welcome, we need governments in all four nations to take sustained action to put our great universities on a firm financial footing. For English universities, as a minimum that means allowing the UK undergraduate tuition fee to rise in line with inflation, alongside increasing the maintenance loan. Public contributions to teaching costs should also be inflation-adjusted as a minimum.

“We need governments in all four nations to grasp the nettle to avoid the slow degradation of our fantastic university system.”

Published: 04/03/2025 by Radio NewsHub