by Keith Richmond
The University and College Union, which represents staff in higher education, has warned that a public funding crisis is putting the international reputation of Britain’s universities at risk.
Sally Hunt, general secretary of the UCU, said: “It’s no great secret that we are in tough economic times, but that is no excuse for risking the UK’s proud international standing and reputation in higher education.
“We are in real danger of being left behind as we try to get back on track economically. Most countries are investing in universities – and they recognise that help for education must be at the heart of their fiscal stimuli.
“Despite warm words from government the opposite is happening in the UK. If the government does not make bold decisions to back education now then we have little doubt that the fall out from that decision will be felt in years to come.”
The UCU says that, in the past 12 months, 1,318 academics have been laid off and a further 5,097 jobs are under threat.
Universities and colleges are cutting jobs – sometimes through voluntary redundancies, sometimes through compulsory – and not replacing staff who retire or move on, ahead of what they anticipate will be savage cuts in higher education spending, whoever wins the general election next year.
Cuts could be announced as early as January when the Higher Education Funding Council gets its budget for the academic year 2010-11.
Union leaders fear that what is happening at Leeds University – where management wants to make 187 people redundant as part of a “restructuring exercise” designed to save £35 million – is just a taste of things to come.
