One of the UK’s largest universities has announced that it is to cut 165 jobs in a bid to safeguard its financial future.
London Metropolitan University has told students and staff that these cuts are a result of ongoing financial pressures, and a drop in the number of students studying at the university.
The planned cuts will affect both academic and administrative staff across the university’s four faculties.
London Met’s vice-chancellor, Professor John Raftery, warned staff and students that the university faced ‘challenging times’.
He said: “These savings are not just about finances, they are about getting this University into a position where it can compete effectively. We need to address both our immediate financial situation, but also its underlying causes. Our student numbers have dropped, and we need to address why.
“As we reaffirm our social mission as an access university, the words of one of my predecessors come to mind: ‘Yes we believe in access, access to quality,” he added.
An independent report commissioned by the university in 2014 revealed major over staffing. The report concluded that London Met’s costs were too high for a university its size, and the university’s current finances were unsustainable. As at 31 July 2014, the university employed 1,409 people, 270 (16%) fewer than it did in 2013.
It is not known whether these cuts will be imminent. The university has confirmed that it has already begun talks with staff about redundancies.
No-one from the University and College Union (UCU), or the National Union of Students (NUS) was available to comment.
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