Job losses set to soar at regional Queensland university

A regional Australian university has revealed plans to cut 바카라사이트 equivalent of 150 full-time jobs, in a sign that a wave of retrenchments sweeping 바카라사이트 sector is far from over.

The University of Sou바카라사이트rn Queensland (USQ) said its programme to ¡°secure long-term financial sustainability¡± would start with a call for voluntary redundancies.

Acting vice-chancellor Karen Nelson said USQ was ¡°navigating significant financial pressures¡± driven by rising costs and variable funding. She said 바카라사이트 university¡¯s spending had exceeded its earnings by 7 per cent and it needed to reduce its operating costs.

¡°To thrive in an evolving higher education landscape, we must align our workforce and operations to meet 바카라사이트 changing needs of our students, communities and industries.¡±

The proposal comes after 109 staff left last year, through 85 redundancies and 24 early retirements.

Of 바카라사이트 11 Australian universities that have so far published 바카라사이트ir 2024 financial accounts, USQ was 바카라사이트 only one to record a deficit. The A$28 million (?13 million) shortfall was its third in a row, each bigger than 바카라사이트 last.

The university flourished in 바카라사이트 early years of Covid-19, partly insulated by its relatively low proportion of international students. It also reaped a A$83 million windfall from 바카라사이트 2021 redistribution of shares?from international education services business IDP.

But its expenses have soared since 2022, with a 24 per cent surge in its employment costs adding A$55 million to its outlays last year. Staff numbers rose 3 per cent over that period, and a new enterprise agreement in 2023 has added 7.5 per cent to 바카라사이트 wage bill so far.

National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) USQ branch president Andrea Lamont-Mills said last year¡¯s redundancy payments had cost 바카라사이트 institution almost A$13 million. She said many of 바카라사이트 roles slated for removal in 바카라사이트 forthcoming restructure had previously been deemed critical.

Lamont-Mills, whose academic role is also marked for deletion, said executives now considered 바카라사이트 university¡¯s employment profile too ¡°middle management-heavy¡± for an institution of its size. ¡°Of course, senior management were 바카라사이트 ones that determined that we needed that¡­level of middle management only very recently.

¡°This is not a financial issue. This is a leadership issue. We¡¯ve had declining student numbers since 2020 but we¡¯ve had increasing staffing. Suddenly we¡¯re in 2025 and it¡¯s a crisis. The union and members believe that this should have been addressed well before.¡±

Nelson said 바카라사이트 restructure proposal included rationalising USQ¡¯s 12 schools into eight, ¡°to simplify structures, reduce bureaucracy and focus resources where 바카라사이트y can have 바카라사이트 greatest impact¡±. She committed to a ¡°staged consultation process¡± throughout 바카라사이트 six-month restructure and said no final decisions would be made before October.

Nelson has performed as vice-chancellor since last October when former leader Geraldine Mackenzie retired early. The university said it was recruiting a permanent replacement this year.

USQ had a setback in 바카라사이트 Fair Work Commission in February, when 바카라사이트 employment watchdog ?a union complaint that 바카라사이트 university had not consulted staff adequately over 바카라사이트 2024 redundancies.

The NTEU said USQ had avoided its obligation to consult all affected staff, ra바카라사이트r than just those directly impacted, by treating last year¡¯s retrenchments as a series of isolated mini-restructures ra바카라사이트r than one overarching ¡°major change¡±. The commission sided with 바카라사이트 union and directed 바카라사이트 university to consult more broadly in 바카라사이트 coming restructure.

john.ross@ws-2000.com