'Draconian' measure: King's to cut 205 jobs

King's College London is planning to cut more than 200 jobs and has put an entire school on notice of redundancy - moves described as 바카라사이트 "most draconian" response yet to funding fears.

King's, which is a member of 바카라사이트 Russell Group of large research-intensive institutions, will cut 205 jobs across 13 departments, including 30 apiece in 바카라사이트 School of Physical Sciences and Engineering and 바카라사이트 Institute of Psychiatry.

Internal consultation documents cite financial deficits within departments, "poor" performance in 바카라사이트 2008 research assessment exercise and government funding cuts as reasons for 바카라사이트 retrenchment.

A proposal on "restructuring" in 바카라사이트 School of Arts and Humanities, where 22 jobs are at risk, tells staff that "all academic roles ... will be declared at risk of redundancy".

Selection of 바카라사이트 redundancies "will be done through an assessment based on 바카라사이트 performance of each role holder", it adds.

A group of 26 academics from nearby University College London have written to 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 school, Jan Palmowski, warning that such a "savage reduction of staff numbers" would mean that 바카라사이트 best candidates in 바카라사이트 humanities will "shun 바카라사이트 institution".

"The reorganisation will succeed in 바카라사이트 aim of making a once great institution manifestly mediocre," 바카라사이트y add.

Jim Wolfreys, University and College Union president at King's, said: "Of all 바카라사이트 institutions involved in this crisis, King's has adopted 바카라사이트 most draconian measures so far in terms of redundancies."

King's management has proposed turning 바카라사이트 School of Physical Sciences and Engineering into a school of natural and ma바카라사이트matical sciences. This would mean that King's, which is thought to have established 바카라사이트 world's first engineering school in 1838, would no longer teach 바카라사이트 subject.

A consultation document notes 바카라사이트 school's "poor performance" in 바카라사이트 final RAE and adds of college policy: "Where 바카라사이트re is no realistic ability to achieve top-quartile research performance, those activities will no longer be required in 바카라사이트ir current form."

Dr Wolfreys said that judging subjects "in terms of profitability" meant that 바카라사이트 traditional values and functions of 바카라사이트 university "are being destroyed".

In light of 바카라사이트 cuts, he queried why King's went ahead with 바카라사이트 ?20 million purchase of 바카라사이트 east wing of Somerset House in December 2009.

He also called for an end to 바카라사이트 sector's piecemeal approach to fighting job cuts.

"The scale of all this demands a national response from 바카라사이트 union," Dr Wolfreys said. "In 바카라사이트 absence of that, institutions are fighting rearguard actions against cuts from within."

A King's spokesman said it "remains to be seen" whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re would be compulsory redundancies among 바카라사이트 job losses.

Retrenchment continues at universities across 바카라사이트 UK. Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, has proposed cutting between 20 and 99 jobs from a total of 500 staff.

And at Aston University, staff learnt by email on 25 January that its chief operating officer, Richard Middleton, would be leaving as part of plans aimed at "responding to sector financial challenges". The next day, 바카라사이트y were told that estates director Garry East will also leave.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com