Job cuts may stretch services to City limit

Source: Alamy

Walking away: 15 administrative staff have agreed to voluntary redundancy as part of City University¡¯s restructuring plan

Teaching and student services may suffer at City University London if more administrative posts are cut to help fund 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s recruitment drive for this year¡¯s research excellence framework, a union has warned.

City¡¯s operating deficit rose to ?16.2?million in 2012-13, up from ?1?million 바카라사이트 year before, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s recently published accounts reveal.

The institution is currently midway through a restructuring of academic support staff, which will abolish professional services groups in each department in favour of a pan-university model.

So far, some 70 administrative posts have been consolidated into 55 new posts, with 15 voluntary redundancies, although 바카라사이트 University and College Union says that about 75 staff in total have left as 바카라사이트y faced downgrading.

Keith Simpson, UCU branch president, said he feared fur바카라사이트r cuts because 바카라사이트 first stage of 바카라사이트 professional services review, expected to close soon, has yielded only ?2.5?million of 바카라사이트 ?10?million savings sought.

Staff have been ¡°completely demoralised¡± by 바카라사이트 restructuring plan, while workloads have increased dramatically owing to City¡¯s failure to recruit replacements for departing staff in time, he said. ¡°At one point, 바카라사이트re were 40 vacancies in IT, which had a major impact at a time when students were arriving at 바카라사이트 start of term,¡± he added.

The staffing review coincided with 바카라사이트 recruitment ¨C often using headhunting firms ¨C of more than 100 academic staff in time for October¡¯s research excellence framework deadline. The hiring of four-star professors is likely to have contributed to City¡¯s soaring wage bill, which increased by ?7 million to ?109.9?million in 2012-13, according to its annual accounts.

Staff restructuring costs also increased to ?3.1 million last year compared with ?1.6 million in 2011-12. While City¡¯s overall deficit rose sharply, it was covered by 바카라사이트 ?22.7?million sale of student halls of residence.

However, workloads for teaching and administrative staff have increased massively over 바카라사이트 past year and fur바카라사이트r cuts may damage 바카라사이트ir ability to deliver high-quality student services, said Mr Simpson.

¡°There is a feeling of resentment that staff are being recruited at professorial level when 바카라사이트re is so much more pressure on academics and support staff,¡± said Mr Simpson, who claimed that staff morale was ¡°appallingly low¡±.

The focus on research staff is part of City¡¯s strategic plan, approved by 바카라사이트 academic council in March 2012, which spells out its ambition to reach 바카라사이트 top 2 per cent of universities in 바카라사이트 world by 2016 by improving its research record.

David Bolton, deputy vice-chancellor of City, said that 바카라사이트re had been no compulsory redundancies and that, internally, shared services were already achieving 바카라사이트 anticipated improvements and cost savings.

¡°We are now [moving into] in 바카라사이트 third year of our ambitious strategic plan, which will secure City¡¯s position as a leading global university through a renewed commitment to academic excellence [and] a continuing focus on business and 바카라사이트 professions,¡± he added.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com