Top universities to slash 1000 jobs in cost-cutting drive

The job cuts at the University of Canberra are part of a $50m cost-cutting needed by the end of this year.

Academics are in line for job cuts at the University of Canberra.

Four universities have announced nearly 1000 job cuts over the next year, including 200 redundancies revealed by the University of Canberra on Monday.

UC vice-chancellor Stephen Parker said the university needed to save $50m by year’s end.

He said two positions would be cut from the university’s senior executive team – reducing it to three – while nine other senior managers would be removed.

Two roles that were made redundant this month are the Chief Digital Officer and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise.

“I expect at least 200 staffing positions to be removed this year and in the first half of next year,’’ he said. “Some will be found from positions that are or become vacant and contracts that are expiring, but redundancies seem inevitable.’’

Professor Parker said the university was “spending beyond its means’’, although recent changes to government policies involving international and domestic students had “contributed to the poor financial performance’’.

University of Canberra vice-chancellor Stephen Parker has announced job cuts.

Professor Parker said “the university itself is responsible for this unsustainable position’’.

“We cannot expect any external assistance and must take urgent and significant measures to rebalance the institution,’’ he said.

“There is no point in blaming others.’’

Professor Parker said staffing positions in the university’s five faculties and across its professional services “will not be exempt’’ from cuts.

“The final position is dependent on the outcome of consultation and work still under way,’’ he said.

The University of Canberra’s job cuts follow 650 redundancies at the Australian National University, which has asked staff to defer their December pay rise to save money.

James Cook University in Townsville revealed at least 50 job losses on Monday, but said 21 of the positions were “unoccupied’’.

JCU vice-chancellor Simon Briggs briefed staff on the cuts on Monday, warning that JCU “continues to face significant financial challenges’’. He said the university would further consolidate professional and technical services across the university.

“It’s proposed there be a net reduction of 50 positions out of a total professional and technical workforce of around 1100 staff, about 4 per cent of JCU’s total profession and technical staffing,’’ Professor Briggs said.

“About 20 of those 50 positions proposed to be disestablished are already vacant.’’

The National Tertiary Education Union said the University of Southern Queensland had flagged job cuts to fill a $32m budget hole.

NTEU branch president of UniSQ, Andrea Lamont-Mills – who is also dean of research – said the university was refusing to clarify how many jobs would go.

“Everyone is walking around looking over their shoulder wondering if they’re next,’’ she said.

NTEU national president Alison Barnes demanded an urgent parliamentary inquiry into university governance. “The lack of transparency is disgraceful,’’ Dr Barnes said. “Staff are only finding out about problems at their universities when it’s too late and jobs are on the line.’’