The Exeter branch of the University & College Union (UCU) has declared a trade dispute with the University of Exeter over its plan to make 150 staff redundant while putting more than 500 staff at risk and jeopardising 85% of its humanities, arts and social sciences faculty.
The university told all its academic staff about the cuts in an email sent late last month, then sent additional emails to staff whose jobs are at risk informing them that a “consultation” focussed on redundancy targets would take place.
It said staff would initially be offered voluntary redundancy but compulsory redundancies would follow if its targets were not met.
Exeter UCU held an emergency branch meeting last week at which more than 700 of its members took part in a near-unanimous vote to open a trade dispute. The union threatened to ballot its members for strike action if the university does not abandon its redundancy scheme.
Exeter UCU Fight the Job Cuts campaign key messages. Image: Exeter UCU.
The union says that the university has “failed to make a convincing case that this programme of cuts is necessary, based on a sound financial rationale, or that other options have been exhausted”.
The job cuts are expected to affect the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences disproportionately. Several disciplines including Arab & Islamic Studies, drama, education, modern languages, English, history, film, politics, philosophy, religion and theology could all see teaching staff reduced by up to a quarter. Anthropology teaching provision could halve.
The university is seeking to cut staff at its Streatham campus in Exeter and at its Penryn campus in Cornwall, where mathematics, geography and solar energy could be wiped out completely.
It is reported as saying that while it “remains in a strong position”, it is compelled to take action because of rising costs, declining tuition fee income, underfunded research and a sustained drop in international student demand.
University Of Exeter Streatham campus
University of Exeter Vice-Chancellor Lisa Roberts received a total of £392,000 in remuneration in the 2024-25 academic year – a £31,000 increase on the previous year. She is among the highest-paid senior staff in the UK higher education sector according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
Its annual report also shows that sixteen members of its senior management received a total of £3.8 million in 2024-25. Exeter UCU says it would save more by limiting the pay for these posts to £120,000 a year than all the staff cuts it plans to make to its Archaeology & History department.
The university paid 404 of its staff between £100,000 and £254,999 last year, 131 more than the previous year.
Its 2024-25 annual report also shows that it recorded a total year-end income of £4.7 million with reserves amounting to £621 million.
The university’s job cuts plan has been condemned by current and former staff and students and a petition against it has so far amassed nearly 30,000 signatures.
Exeter UCU says it intends to pass votes of no confidence in University of Exeter vice-chancellor Lisa Roberts, as well as its executive board and council, “at the earliest opportunity”.
The union has asked the university to explain what proportion of the 58% of its income it spends on staff goes to “efficient front-line workers” and how much it spends on a “failing management structure”.
As of July last year the university employed 275 more non-academic, professional services staff than it did academic and research staff.
