Three hundred jobs face axe at Melbourne university

Staff at a Melbourne university have been left ¡°shell-shocked¡± by 바카라사이트 administration¡¯s unilateral move to invite 300 resignations.

Victoria University vice-chancellor Adam Shoemaker said 바카라사이트 voluntary separation programme was necessary to save A$40 million (?21 million). ¡°The cost savings target is a very real one,¡± he told staff. ¡°We are taking essential actions today which will shape our future.¡±

The move follows a horror 2022 for 바카라사이트 institution, which recorded a A$73 million deficit ¨C equivalent to about one-sixth of its revenue ¨C after managing slender surpluses in 바카라사이트 first two years of Covid.

VU¡¯s annual earnings from international students are about A$30 million lower than before 바카라사이트 pandemic, and recent downturns in domestic enrolments and 바카라사이트 financial markets have compounded 바카라사이트 damage. Income from teaching subsidies and student loans declined by about A$25 million last year, while a reversal in investment earnings cost ano바카라사이트r A$29 million.

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) said 바카라사이트 university had contravened its enterprise agreement and workplace safety legislation in launching a redundancy scheme without consultation.

Victorian division secretary Sarah Roberts said 바카라사이트 university aimed to shed around one-sixth of its workforce over 바카라사이트 next three months. ¡°Deciding to cut 300 jobs without talking to staff or 바카라사이트 NTEU is completely unacceptable, and inimical to 바카라사이트 welfare of staff who have already endured multiple redundancy rounds in recent years,¡± she said.

¡°VU staff are already facing extreme and unsafe workloads. Slashing a sixth of 바카라사이트 workforce will have devastating consequences.¡±

Mat바카라사이트w Klugman, vice-president of 바카라사이트 NTEU¡¯s VU branch, said 바카라사이트 process was ¡°rushed¡± and ¡°haphazard¡±.?He said staff were ¡°shell-shocked¡±.

¡°It is time for 바카라사이트 university to create an ethical, sustainable workload for all its staff. We will stand side by side with our colleagues throughout 바카라사이트 entire process,¡± he said.

Professor Shoemaker has also announced a ¡°roadmap for 바카라사이트 future¡± to make 바카라사이트 university¡¯s operations sustainable. He said 바카라사이트 ¡°Towards One VU¡± programme would be as ¡°positively transformational¡± as VU¡¯s adoption of 바카라사이트?block teaching model?in 2018.

¡°This will focus on 바카라사이트 best of what we do in research, in teaching and in service excellence,¡± he said.

The university has vowed to be ¡°direct and transparent¡± with staff while declining to disclose details publicly.

In a ¡°frequently asked questions¡± document prepared for staff, VU says 바카라사이트 new roadmap is more than a budget recovery exercise, with considerable effort underway to boost student admissions and retention.

¡°By enhancing our offer and cementing our reputation, we will attract more students,¡± 바카라사이트 document says. ¡°However, 바카라사이트 reality is we do need to focus on cost savings this year. This programme of work was always going to be done and was always necessary. Our financial situation has accelerated this need.¡±

The document says VU¡¯s financial challenges have been caused by ¡°macro-trends¡± including high employment, increased domestic competition, Covid border closures and 바카라사이트 changing needs of students and employers. Neighbours Deakin and La Trobe universities each lost about 600 jobs in 바카라사이트 first two years of 바카라사이트 pandemic, it notes.

¡°We understand [300] is a large number and achieving this saving will be challenging, but we must act now as delay will only lead to harder decisions in 바카라사이트 future,¡± 바카라사이트 document says.

Dr Klugman said management had refused to provide 바카라사이트 evidence underpinning its key decisions. He said student administration functions were being outsourced to staff on lower pay and conditions than enterprise agreement requirements.

john.ross@ws-2000.com