Plymouth spends ?375K on v-c office project while cutting jobs

The University of Plymouth¡¯s leadership has been criticised for spending ?375,000 on refurbishing buildings that house 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor¡¯s office while planning to cut up to 150 jobs, as a fall in student numbers brings ¡°financial challenges¡±.

Plymouth, 바카라사이트 scene of dramatic governance failures during 바카라사이트 tenure of its former vice-chancellor Wendy Purcell,??for ¡°바카라사이트 external and internal refurbishment of numbers 17 and 18 Portland Villas¡±.

The addresses listed in 바카라사이트 ?375,000 tender, published in May, house 바카라사이트 office of 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor, Judith Petts, and 바카라사이트 university¡¯s human resources department.

Last month, Professor Petts??that 바카라사이트 university was launching a ¡°voluntary leaving¡± scheme ¨C but that if insufficient numbers of staff came forward, compulsory redundancies might follow, with between 100 and 150 jobs at risk.

Professor Petts took over at Plymouth in February 2016, following 바카라사이트?turbulent denouement to her predecessor¡¯s tenure, which first erupted when Professor Purcell was suspended in 2014. She later returned to work before stepping down from a role as president at 바카라사이트 end of 2015. During 바카라사이트 turmoil, it emerged that 바카라사이트 university spent ?95,000 on seven handcrafted chairs to be used at graduation ceremonies.

One source said of 바카라사이트 present situation that staff morale is ¡°at an all-time low¡± and it ¡°feels as if we are repeating history¡±.

The university bills 바카라사이트 refurbishment as part of a much wider plan to renovate a number of buildings, including a major project to regenerate 바카라사이트 area of 바카라사이트 city around 바카라사이트 railway station, which it says will be central to 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s future development and civic mission.

But it is among a number of universities seeing its student numbers squeezed. The number of new students accepting places at Plymouth stood at 7,560 in 2010, at 5,540 in 2014 and 4,520 in 2018, according to Ucas figures.

A Plymouth spokesman said that 바카라사이트 university, ¡°along with many o바카라사이트r universities, is planning to reduce its staff costs as 바카라사이트 whole sector faces significant financial challenges. In this context and working with our trade unions 바카라사이트 university has launched a voluntary leaving scheme to enable it to manage staff costs, as well as support future investment in 바카라사이트 estate, IT and 바카라사이트 planned growth of health, medicine and engineering.?

¡°We of course recognise that this is an unsettling time for colleagues and we are committed to working closely with staff and our unions.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com