In the UK, Ulster University has called for a moratorium on academic staff promotions in response to “unprecedented fiscal pressure.” The university, which employs around 2,700 individuals across its four campuses in Belfast, Jordanstown, Coleraine, and Londonderry, faces ongoing fiscal pressures despite efforts to diversify its income streams.
Ulster University has gone on record with a total income of £293 million for their 2023/24 fiscal year. Most impressively, staff costs represented 55% of their total spend. For the university, its core grant from the local Department for the Economy (DfE) has dipped modestly. This continuing cut is adding to the university’s current financial stress. Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Bartholomew recently addressed these issues during a “town hall” meeting with staff, emphasizing the need for sustainable funding.
Norman Hagan, a representative from the Ulster University branch of the University and College Union (UCU), criticized the decision to suspend promotions. He expressed disappointment, stating,
“It is bitterly disappointing that academic promotions have been indefinitely suspended when staff work above and beyond expectations.” – Norman Hagan
Hagan called for continued strong support for the universities. He urged for a UK-wide moratorium on redundancies, course closures and budget reductions across the higher education institution.
Escalating inflation only exacerbates these fiscal challenges. At the same time, the federal government has reigned in tuition fee increases to a max of inflationary increases. Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald has committed to ensure any fee increases do not go above this baseline standard rate. Given all the unfolding events, as tweeted by a university spokesperson,
“Due to the decision not to uplift tuition fees in line with even just recent inflation, nor to uplift the teaching element of the block grant in line with inflation, these pressures remain unmitigated.” – University spokesperson
They added to this the fact that it’s simply unsustainable for Ulster University to bear the operational capacity of the university, combined with these financial pressures.
Ulster University has been relatively successful in building its income both by growing and diversifying its income sources. The current, relentless inflationary erosion of its block grant continues to cause major harm.
