University of New England to cut 200 jobs to fill $25m COVID hole

More than 200 jobs are set to be axed at the University of New England, as it deals with a $25m revenue black hole.

Professor Brigid Heywood, vice-chancellor of the University of New England

More than 200 jobs are set to be axed at the University of New England, one of the nation’s largest rural higher education institutions, as it deals with a $25m revenue black hole.

Academics and professional staff at UNE, based in Armidale, NSW, 500km north of Sydney, will be offered a chance to put their hand up for voluntary redundancies, and are the latest in a long line of higher education workers facing job losses due to the pandemic’s hit on university finances.

The Australian revealed last week the Group of Eight is forecasting 7600 positions will be lost due to the loss of revenue from foreign students locked out by Australia’s global border closure. The wider university sector is expecting 21,000 jobs to go by the end of the year.

UNE vice chancellor Brigid Heywood said her restructure plan would make the university more resilient through the rest of the pandemic and the economic recovery.

“This situation in not unique to UNE and, in common with other businesses, we must adapt and make key decisions to address these challenges,” Professor Heywood said.

“UNE is at a pivotal time in its history and is ready for reform. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the underlying issue of a costs versus revenue misalignment into sharp focus, making it urgent that UNE implement change to remain a resilient and sustainable contributor to the communities we support.”

Professor Heywood said the university was facing a $25m revenue deficit in this financial year, and had to cut $20m to stay afloat.

“It will position UNE to take advantage of growth opportunities for all of our campuses, including UNE Tamworth and Sydney, the delivery of new micro credential courses, and continue to contribute to regional growth and industry-aligned research through enhanced enterprise functions,” she said.

“Organisational redesign is vital to ensure UNE can deliver the outcomes desired in the UNE 2021+ strategic plan — including student success, digital transformation, knowledge partnerships, the future campus and significance of place-based engagement.”

The Australian also revealed last week that nearly 300 staff including academics at Monash, one of two Group of Eight universities in Melbourne, are set to be laid off by the end of the year.

The Monash job cuts followed the release of restructuring plans at UNSW, another Group of Eight institution, where 493 positions will be made redundant by the end of the year.

The University of Melbourne’s vice-chancellor, Duncan Maskell, said job losses at his sandstone institution were inevitable.