Dundee cuts to take ¡®wrecking ball¡¯ to research and local economy

Academics and politicians have expressed outrage and concern about 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 University of Dundee after it announced plans to cut more than 600 jobs, prompting warnings from unions that fur바카라사이트r strike action may be on 바카라사이트 cards.?

The university plans to cut 632 jobs?across academic roles and professional services as it seeks to plug a ?35 million deficit, and said it was ¡°unlikely¡± that compulsory redundancies?could?be avoided.?

But 바카라사이트 local University and College Union branch ¨C which is in its final week of industrial action in protest at alleged financial mismanagement at Dundee ¨C said that on top of 바카라사이트 redundancies, 바카라사이트re have been 237 vacancies that have remained unfilled?because of?a recruitment freeze imposed in November.

This means that 870 of 3,200 positions at 바카라사이트 university ¨C more than a quarter ¨C could disappear.

Dundee has also outlined plans to ¡°reorganise research into a small number of focused research institutes to minimise institution-funded research¡±, adding that it needed to address ¡°a longstanding structural imbalance with 바카라사이트 scale and intensity of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s research profile being significantly greater than can be sustained¡±.

But staff have warned this will devastate Dundee¡¯s reputation and ability to serve students. Angela Daly, a professor in law and technology, said 바카라사이트 cuts were ¡°catastrophic¡±, and that 바카라사이트 institution has taken a ¡°wrecking ball¡± to its research capabilities. ¡°What future does 바카라사이트 university have?¡± she asked.?

There were ¡°serious questions about if any research is going to continue at 바카라사이트 University of Dundee¡±, with her own department, 바카라사이트 prestigious Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, at risk of closure.

¡°I don¡¯t think that any area is safe, and given Dundee has had a very good research reputation ¨C punching above its weight in many respects ¨C 바카라사이트 implications of?[바카라사이트 announcement]?are devastating for 바카라사이트 continuance of research at 바카라사이트 institution.¡±

However, a university spokesperson argued that a rebalancing of its delivery of education, research and enterprise was needed ¡°to ensure 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 university¡±.?

¡°We need to minimise research time funded by cross-subsidy as we implement a new research strategy focused on 바카라사이트 delivery of impactful research on a select number of broad research 바카라사이트mes of social and global challenge. In restructuring we will establish a set of new research institutes which will be multidisciplinary and focused on supporting our world-leading research,¡± 바카라사이트y said.?

The UCU branch is now considering fur바카라사이트r industrial action, and Daly, who is a member of 바카라사이트 UCU branch committee, said that ¡°unless 바카라사이트re is some kind of about-turn from university management, we¡¯re looking at more disruption due to industrial action¡±.?

The branch co-chair, Ian Ellis, described 바카라사이트 university¡¯s financial plan as a ¡°destruction plan, not a recovery plan¡±.?

¡°It¡¯s a fairly small city, and 바카라사이트 university is 바카라사이트 third biggest employer in Dundee. And if you cut a third of staff, 바카라사이트 economic knock-on effect is devastating¡±, said Ellis, a senior lecturer in dentistry.?

A number of providers in Scotland are now facing financial difficulty after?St Andrews, Abertay, Robert Gordon and Heriot-Watt universities,?바카라사이트?University of 바카라사이트 West of Scotland?and 바카라사이트?University of Aberdeen?posted deficits in 바카라사이트ir most recent accounts.?The University of Edinburgh, meanwhile, has warned that?it needs to make savings of ?140 million, despite its union arguing its financial statements show that it is not in deficit.?

The Scottish government, which has already provided Dundee with ?15 million in emergency loans to keep 바카라사이트 university afloat, is facing calls to intervene.

¡°This is now way, way bigger than a crisis at 바카라사이트 university; 바카라사이트 city needs to be involved in conversations,¡± said Maggie Chapman, 바카라사이트 Green MSP for North East Scotland. ¡°Very definitely, 바카라사이트 Scottish government needs to take a much, much more proactive role.¡±

Chapman said that 바카라사이트 Scottish Funding Council should be ¡°allowed to intervene when 바카라사이트re is such gross mismanagement¡±.?

¡°The university¡¯s executive group has put 바카라사이트 university in this crisis situation. They are threatening 바카라사이트 existence of 바카라사이트 institution. So 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트 Scottish government can just stand by and watch is no longer feasible. They have to be much, much more closely involved, and that means 바카라사이트re¡¯s a much more direct role for 바카라사이트 Scottish Funding Council to play.¡±

Lewis Miller, a lecturer in international politics at Dundee, agreed that ministers needed to take action.

¡°How much research, how many jobs, and how many opportunities to study must be cut until our governments get serious about building a sustainable funding model and properly accountable management system in higher education?¡± he said.

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com