University to slash 200 jobs in cost-cutting drive

The job cuts are part of a $50 million cost cutting needed by the end of this year.

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

The University of Canberra has announced 200 job cuts over the next nine months.

UC vice-chancellor Professor Stephen Parker said the university needs to save $50 million by the end of this year.

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.

“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 university’s poor financial performance’’.

Professor Stephen Parker, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canberra, has announced job cuts.

The federal government plans to cap numbers of international students next year, which is eating into universities’ revenues.

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 that 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 that is still under way,’’ he said.

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