James Cook University is again under scrutiny after the NTEU revealed the university’s plan to cut 30 academic jobs

James Cook University is again under scrutiny after the union revealed the university’s plan to cut 30 academic jobs across Townsville and Cairns campuses.

James Cook University is again under scrutiny after the National Tertiary Education Union revealed the university’s plan to cut 30 academic jobs across Townsville and Cairns campuses.

Members of the NTEU today launched a campaign urging JCU management to look at other options which don’t further erode the institution’s viability.

It comes after a Change Management Proposal released in September last year outlined a sweeping staffing restructure made up of 145 job cuts including the positions of Cairns campus director and the Cairns executive officer from a total university employee base of 1313 workers.

In 2018, 13 positions were axed in a restructure that was looking to shed $13m across both campuses.

According to the NTEU, James Cook University management proposes to stop programs in creative arts, tourism (in Townsville), planning, conflict resolution and aquatic vertebrate disease research, as well as other “non-aligned” work.

NTEU JCU branch secretary Jonathan Strauss was firm that cutting jobs was not the answer to JCU’s problems.

Lab tech and union member Jamie Mars, NTEU JCU branch president Jonathan Strauss, and JCU liaison librarian and union committee member Bronwen Forster. Photo: Dylan Nicholson

“JCU student numbers have been in decline for nearly a decade,” Mr Strauss said.

“The university abandoning various courses has had a major impact on its attractiveness to students.”

Student load at JCU’s tropical Queensland campuses has fallen in recent years, reducing by 17% from 2018 to 2022, while the academic workforce has increased by 6% during the same period.

It has resulted in a financial position which the university said was unsustainable.

JCU deputy vice chancellor Professor Marcus Lane last week briefed academics on the “Change Proposals”, with more detailed briefings being provided at the college level.

“These Change Proposals aim to build a sustainable future for JCU by ensuring our Academy is appropriate to our scale and complexity,” Mr Lane said.

As difficult as this is, this is prudent, financially responsible management by the University.

“JCU faces significant financial challenges that must be addressed if the University is to position itself for a bright future as the leading research-intensive university in Northern Australia.”

NTEU national president Dr Alison Barnes said regional universities needed to serve communities.

James Cook University vice chancellor professor Simon Biggs. Picture: Cameron Laird

“It’s impossible for regional universities to grow when managements reach for job cuts at every sign of financial adversity,” Ms Barnes said.

Vice Chancellor Professor Simon Biggs said JCU remained committed to being a comprehensive regional university and will retain courses and subjects of importance to its regions, while maintaining financial sustainability.

“We are addressing our financial challenges, working to grow student numbers, and reduce costs,” Mr Biggs said.

“We are refining our management structures and improving functions and service delivery across JCU.”

Mr Biggs also said the university was looking to “disestablish” some courses or reduce the number of academics teaching that course, while looking to revitalise other areas.

For example, it’s proposed Chemistry (Physical Sciences) and Chemical Engineering (Engineering) be integrated to create a new discipline of Industrial Chemistry, within the Physical Sciences Academic group.

The new discipline will focus on renewable energy, critical minerals, and minerals processing, which are growth areas for northern Queensland.

The university also said academic workloads had been a key consideration in developing the proposed changes for consultation.

“Academic staff work allocations will continue to be actively managed in line with established processes under the JCU Enterprise Agreement to ensure a quality student experience across the University,” the university said in a statement.

The release of the “Change Proposals” marks the start of a three-week consultation period inviting feedback and suggestions from staff members, unions and other stakeholders.

Following the period of consultation, “Change Plans” will be released outlining confirmed changes.

JCU proposes to retire the disciplines of Chemical engineering (proposed to morph into Industrial Chemistry), Urban and regional planning, The Conflict Management and Resolution, and Creative Arts and Media.

JCU also proposes to recalibrate staff numbers against student load in Accounting and Finance, Tourism, Economics and Marketing, Aquatic Vertebrate Disease capability, Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Sports and Exercise science and Physiotherapy.

Originally published as James Cook University is again under scrutiny after the NTEU revealed the university’s plan to cut 30 academic jobs