Skip to content

University jobs at risk amid lower student numbers

Bea Swallow
BBC News, Bristol
Getty Images A large lecture theatre with bright sash windows which is mostly empty. Only seven students are sitting on the long wooden benches. A university lecturer is standing at the front wearing a blue shirt and dark trousers, with his dark hair tied up into a bun. Getty Images
The university says it must respond accordingly to "patterns of declining or increasing student numbers"

University staff who teach language and communication skills to international students say their jobs are at risk under "devastating" new redundancy plans.

Currently, 45 members of University of Bristol's Centre for Academic Language and Development (Cald) staff are being threatened with compulsory redundancy.

A university spokesperson said the cuts were in response to a declining number of students, to which they must "adjust staffing levels and resources accordingly".

They added "ongoing talks" were in progress with colleagues at the University and College Union (UCU) to help "mitigate any impact on our students".

Google The exterior entrance of Bristol University's Richmond building. It is a large slate coloured building with tall windows above the glass automatic doors, decorated with coloured stripes. Google
T‌‌he International Foundation Programme (IFP) is designed to prepare international students for degree-level study

Staff within the department help both international and home students at the university to develop their academic language, literacy and communication skills.

The university runs courses and programmes for students at all levels and from a wide variety of backgrounds, whether or not English is their first language.

The UCU argues there is "no sound operational or financial rationale" for the cuts to the programme.

It added the compulsory redundancy scheme relied on projected, not actual, student numbers for the next academic year.

'Changing demand'

A University of Bristol spokesperson said: "We continue to have a pipeline of applicants for this programme, but at lower numbers than several years ago.

"This is no reflection on the quality of the education provided by the team but for the International Foundation Programme (IFP) to remain sustainable, we need to respond to changing demand."

The union's regional official Nick Varney said: "These job cuts would not only be devastating for the staff involved, but will leave the remaining staff over-stretched and damage students' academic experience.

"Taking compulsory redundancies off the table, and focusing on viable alternatives, would end this dispute."

He called upon Vice-Chancellor Evelyn Welch to reverse the "unfair, ill-thought out and financially unjustifiable plans" or face potential strike action.

An open letter against the cuts to university management has gained more than 900 signatures.

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

Related Internet Links
More stories like this