University plans to cut 200 jobs

About 200 jobs could be cut at Bournemouth University.

Staff were told on Thursday the jobs could affect academic faculties and professional services, and that its four faculties could be cut to three.

A spokesperson said the university was "deeply saddened and devastated" by the potential cuts that could be made following a consultation period.

Bournemouth University has about 17,000 students and employs about 1,600 staff.

"Like many other universities in the UK, we are facing financial pressures with rising operational costs and an increasingly competitive environment for student recruitment," the university's 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.

"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."

They said the university would do "everything we can" to avoid compulsory redundancies and provide a voluntary redundancy scheme, adding the wellbeing of staff was its "priority" during the consultation period.

The University and College Union (UCU) said up to 10,000 university jobs could be at risk this academic year because of an "unprecedented crisis" in higher education.

Earlier this month, Dundee University said it planned to cut about 630 jobs, while on Tuesday Cardiff University's UCU branch backed industrial action over plans to cut 400 full-time posts.

About 700 staff went on strike at the University of East Anglia this week over plans to cut 163 full-time equivalent roles.

You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.