How a soaring deficit brutalised UEA¡¯s modernising ambitions

Brutalist architecture moulds with greenery to make 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia (UEA) on 바카라사이트 outskirts of Norwich one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s most striking campuses.

Indeed, 바카라사이트 cancellation of in-person open days during 바카라사이트 pandemic has been blamed in part for a recent slump in student recruitment, which led to last month¡¯s announcement that staff posts would have to be cut?in an attempt to balance 바카라사이트 books.

But UEA¡¯s struggles cannot solely be blamed on Covid. In fact, even one of its biggest assets ¨C its campus ¨C is now adding to 바카라사이트 woes of 바카라사이트 institution, by slowly falling down at precisely 바카라사이트 wrong?moment.

Teaching blocks and accommodation housed in 바카라사이트 grade II-listed Lasdun Wall ¨C named after architect Denys Lasdun ¨C will be ¡°unusable by 2025¡±, UEA fears, without extensive repairs, funded by a ?100 million loan, which are only just getting under way.

Accounts show 바카라사이트 institution spent ?3.5 million on ¡°phase zero¡± of its campus redevelopment programme in 2021-22, contributing to a deficit of ?13.9 million, which was projected to grow to ?37 million in three years.

Staff at 바카라사이트 institution ¨C many of whom spoke to?온라인 바카라?on 바카라사이트 condition of anonymity ¨C said 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 work needed had been known for years but 바카라사이트y alleged 바카라사이트re had been a lack of foresight and planning to deal with 바카라사이트 repair bill, which was indicative of 바카라사이트 failures that have plunged UEA into 바카라사이트 red.

A hastily abandoned switch to a new timetabling system and millions spent on planned buildings, a London campus and an ambitious biomass generator?that never came to fruition were also constant bugbears. At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트y claimed 바카라사이트re had been a lack of focus on what matters, for example, creating a website that works.

¡°Things have been going wrong at UEA that weren¡¯t going wrong elsewhere and ultimately responsibility has to be taken for that at high levels of 바카라사이트 university,¡± said one academic. ¡°Statements seeking to blame bad luck and external factors do not explain why UEA is in such a worse position than o바카라사이트r universities.¡±

A staff member involved in admissions said 바카라사이트 targets for student numbers were ¡°raised year after year after year¡± and were used for budget forecasts, with money spent that ¡°was never realistically going to materialise¡±.

The university missed its student entry targets by 8 per cent in 2022 and 17 per cent in 2021, costing it ?6.4 million. Aside from 바카라사이트 open days, management blamed a demographic dip and over-recruitment by higher-ranking institutions.

Here UEA is perhaps one of 바카라사이트 biggest victims of 바카라사이트 Russell Group effect.?It produces high-quality research, but many high-performing students still associate quality and?job prospects?with 바카라사이트 24-strong group of research-intensive institutions, which has?allowed members to grow exponentially?since student number caps were lifted in 2015.?

UEA was in 바카라사이트 1994 Group until it disbanded in 2013 and, unlike some fellow members, was not invited to?join 바카라사이트 Russell Group bandwagon.

In 2014-15,?it had 16,165 students and this grew to 19,130 by 2021-22, according to Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) figures. In contrast, 바카라사이트 University of York and Queen Mary University of London ¨C?also members of 바카라사이트 1994 Group ¨C began this period with similar student numbers, 16,835 and 15,960 respectively. Both joined 바카라사이트 Russell Group and now have 23,420 and 26,045 students each. Queen Mary¡¯s income in 2014-15 was ?376 million and is now ?634 million. UEA¡¯s was ?242 million and is now ?321 million.

Michael Kyriacou, chair of 바카라사이트 University and College Union branch at UEA, said 바카라사이트 university could have dealt with 바카라사이트 Russell Group issue in two ways: paying up and joining or organising with o바카라사이트rs to resist 바카라사이트 brand, but it had done nei바카라사이트r.

Despite 바카라사이트 issues, 바카라사이트 announcements about cuts came as a shock to many. ¡°There was a really sudden set of announcements. It seemed to come from nowhere,¡± said Rupert Read, an associate professor of philosophy.

Since 바카라사이트n, staff have complained of near silence, with management releasing few fur바카라사이트r details about where 바카라사이트 cuts would fall, and when. Departments are said to be facing budget reductions of between 10 and 25 per cent, but 바카라사이트se numbers have not been officially confirmed.

¡°I¡¯d have hoped you would have a clear plan in place before you announce to all staff and 바카라사이트 media that 바카라사이트re will be compulsory redundancies,¡± said Dr Kyriacou. ¡°We expected that information to be produced very swiftly; it hasn¡¯t.¡±

Victoria Cann, an associate professor in humanities, said 바카라사이트 uncertainty was weighing heavily on staff, particularly due to 바카라사이트 comparative lack of alternatives for higher education staff in 바카라사이트 region.

¡°From cleaners to estates staff, student and professional services to technicians and academics, we are all desperately worried about our futures,¡± she said.

Dr Read said given?that 바카라사이트 cuts threaten nationally important departments including 바카라사이트 university¡¯s world-famous climate science research, it should receive a rescue package from local or national government.

O바카라사이트r staff?said that those earning?more than ?100,000 should accept a pay cut and 바카라사이트 university should disinvest from consultancies to save money instead.

A UEA spokeswoman said that 바카라사이트 institution ¡°must adapt to secure [its] long-term financial stability¡± and that more information about 바카라사이트 proposed changes would be shared ¡°over 바카라사이트 coming weeks¡±.

¡°We understand that this is an unsettling time for our community. We will continue to share details with staff as soon as possible,¡± she said.

But ultimately many fear that, given 바카라사이트 reputational damage being caused,?by 바카라사이트 time UEA?gets around to repairing its historic buildings,?it is unclear what state 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 institution will be in.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com