University of Technology Sydney courses to be cut, see the full list as $80m in costs slashed
The University of Technology Sydney will axe more than 100 staff, 167 courses and 1100 subjects to save $80m, blaming government funding and poor revenue growth. See the list of courses to be cut.
The University of Technology Sydney has released its plans to axe more than 100 staff, 167 courses and 1100 subjects in an $80m cost cutting move, blaming the cuts on changes to government funding and restrictions on revenue growth.
The full list of courses to be discontinued at the university extends even further than a list of degrees it announced it had “temporarily suspended” in August.
It also includes the Master of Teaching, plus combined teaching degrees specialising in science, economics and technology.
Both the Master and Bachelor of Public Health will disappear, along with an undergraduate double degree in Engineering Science and Laws.
More than 60 combined degrees with a Bachelor of International Studies are on the chopping block.
A further 20 postgraduate Masters degrees will be axed across a range of fields including the Master of Mathematics and Quantitative Finance, Master of Palliative Care and Master of Philosophy in Medical Biotechnology.
Under its “operational sustainability initiative” UTS has revealed the proposed changes include axing 134 full-time equivalent academic roles as well as further cuts to its casual workforce, expected to affect about 32.7 full-time equivalent academics.
It would merge the law faculty with the business school into the newly created Faculty of Business and Law and multiple schools including education and public health and international studies would be closed under a measure to standardise and simplify faculty structures.
It means its six faculties would shrink to five and 24 schools into 15.
Its courses would reduce by 28 per cent, with 31 per cent less subjects on offer.
The existing Faculty of Design and Society is worst affected under the proposal with 40 per cent fewer courses on offer and its 1232 subjects slashed by more than a third.
The Faculty of Science will shed half its subjects currently offered, and 38 per cent of courses overall.
The Faculty of Health will lose 46 per cent of subjects, going from 100 course offerings to 66 under the “future state”.
Of the 1101 subjects to be discontinued, 463 had no student enrolments and weren’t taught in 2024.
Current students will still be able to complete their courses and compulsory subjects.
The university says the cuts will contribute to an expected $80 million budget reduction and streamline its offerings, in addition to a further $20 million savings expected from cost-cutting measures like limiting senior staff and executive remuneration.
The consultation process with staff is ongoing until October 15, after which the changes will be confirmed.
UTS stated changes in federal funding, limits on its ability to raise revenue and the Covid-19 pandemic had led to a “period of financial instability that must be addressed”.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Parfitt said he “deeply” regretted the job losses and did not underestimate the anxiety and concern staff may experience.
“UTS is focused on achieving a sustainable future where students can continue to get the quality of education they expect and we can continue to deliver research outcomes for the communities that benefit from our work.
“During this time of proposed change across UTS, we are keenly aware of the potential impacts on the health, wellbeing and safety of our staff.”
Dr Alison Barnes, national president of the National Tertiary Education Union said the planned changes were “devastating” and a “disaster for the community”.
“I can’t remember seeing cuts of this scale with almost a third of all teaching being slashed, and in critical disciplines like education and public health,” she said.
“This is what happens when university executives treat our public institutions like profit-driven corporations: the public good is abandoned.”
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Originally published as University of Technology Sydney courses to be cut, see the full list as $80m in costs slashed
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