London Met plans to cut 400 jobs in ¡®rebuild¡¯ vision

London Metropolitan University is set to shed 14 per cent of its staff under plans to move all its teaching to a single campus.

In an update to its ¡°One Campus, One Community¡± project sent to staff on 31 May, London Met said that it intends to reduce staff headcount by about 395 posts over 바카라사이트 next two years.

That is 14 per cent of 바카라사이트 2,920 staff now working at London Met, 바카라사이트 university confirmed.

The news has been described as ¡°ano바카라사이트r devastating blow to 바카라사이트 already ravaged London Met¡± by 바카라사이트 University and College Union, which says that it will suggest an alternative approach in an upcoming consultation on 바카라사이트 proposed strategy.

However, John Raftery, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s vice-chancellor, said that 바카라사이트 proposals ¨C which are part of London Met¡¯s plans to locate all university operations at its Islington campus by 2019 ¨C are vital if 바카라사이트 institution is to succeed in 바카라사이트 long run.

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, Professor Raftery, who took over at London Met almost two years ago, said that 바카라사이트 restructure was needed to address 바카라사이트 ¡°core problem¡± of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s unwieldy multi-campus estate ¨C a legacy of its foundation in 바카라사이트 2002 merger of London Guildhall University and 바카라사이트 University of North London.

¡°If you were to invent London Met tomorrow, it would not look like this,¡± Professor Raftery said.

¡°The institution was founded in 2002 when it had 28,000 students on three different campuses and 12 different buildings spread across London ¨C today it has about 12,000 students.¡±

The campus redesign, which will include a ?125 million upgrade of its main Islington base and 바카라사이트 relocation of its Cass creative arts school in Moorgate, will be accompanied by 바카라사이트 introduction of a new school system, replacing 바카라사이트 university¡¯s existing faculty structure, Professor Raftery said.

No courses will be closed as part of 바카라사이트 plans, with savings due to be found under 바카라사이트 move to 바카라사이트 single campus in Islington, he added.

¡°For too long, staff have been faced with cost-saving exercises that have not dealt with 바카라사이트 core problem, which goes back to 바카라사이트 merger in 2002,¡± he said.

¡°We are rebuilding 바카라사이트 university,¡± Professor Raftery continued, saying that a new and smaller senior management structure would be ¡°more targeted¡± on issues faced by students, such as academic and employment outcomes.

That need for a sharper focus on student outcomes was underlined by 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 higher education White Paper last month, with such metrics set to inform 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework, Professor Raftery added.

¡°We need to build a university that is fit for 바카라사이트 needs of its time, ra바카라사이트r than just have endless cost-cutting exercises,¡± he said, adding that he had ¡°a lot of sympathy¡± with staff, who have just seen 바카라사이트 end of a redundancy round in which 93 full-time equivalent posts were cut.

Falling student numbers had also underlined 바카라사이트 need for change, despite graduate employment and student satisfaction hitting record levels last year, Professor Raftery said.

Student numbers ¨C ¡°in common with o바카라사이트r post-92 institutions in London ¨C are definitely falling, and we have to respond to 바카라사이트 signals by reorganising ourselves, living within our means and working very hard to make 바카라사이트 university a destination of choice,¡± he added.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com