Dundee University has announced a dramatic reduction in planned job cuts, with redundancies now set to be halved under a revised financial recovery strategy. The institution, which had previously warned that up to 700 staff could lose their jobs due to a £35 million deficit, now expects to shed around 300 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions, all through a voluntary redundancy scheme.
The new plan, unveiled on Tuesday, comes after widespread criticism from staff, unions, and politicians over the initial scale of the proposed cuts. The university’s governing body has endorsed the alternative approach, which also includes borrowing funds, restructuring academic departments and professional services, and implementing further cost-saving measures.
Interim Principal Professor Shane O’Neill described the revised plan as a “significant step towards a more sustainable future for the university and the ongoing delivery of excellent education, research and enterprise.” He cautioned, however, that “the proposed route forward will require significant additional public funding,” and confirmed ongoing discussions with the Scottish Funding Council to secure support over the next two years.
“There are still several challenging steps to be taken in order to clear this pathway to progress,” Professor O’Neill said. “We also need to ensure that the steps we take do succeed in allowing us to access commercial lending, as that will be essential for long-term sustainability.”
Scottish Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth welcomed the university’s “commitment to significantly reduce proposed job losses,” noting, “This will remain a difficult period for staff, but this alternative plan provides a sustainable platform for the institution to build on.”
The University and College Union (UCU) Dundee branch co-president Melissa D’Ascenzio called the reduction “a relief,” attributing the change to “the relentless pressure from UCU, from all the campus unions and the support they’ve received from the city of Dundee, local communities and from across the political spectrum.” She urged the university to “take compulsory redundancies off the table, so as we can work with the employer towards a sustainable, successful university that values its staff and students, and continues to deliver the world-class teaching and research.”
Scottish Lib Dem education spokesman Willie Rennie said the new plan would be “painful but not as painful as the last one,” and called on the Scottish Government to “agree to the request for financial support without any further delay so that we can move forward, provide certainty for staff and students, rebuild confidence with the bank and start to recover the excellent reputation of Dundee University.”
However, Dundee-based Labour MSP Michael Marra warned that the loss of 300 jobs would still be a “hammer blow” for the area, stating, “The original plan was an ill-conceived spreadsheet exercise that would have hobbled the university’s future. I will be scrutinising the full details and funding of this emerging plan over the coming days.”
The university will now work to finalise the details of the voluntary severance scheme and consult with staff, students, and union leaders as implementation begins. A newly formed advisory task force, led by former principal Sir Alan Langlands, will also support the university in ensuring its long-term sustainability.
