Lancaster University under fire for proposing nearly 400 job cuts. At the same time, though, it’s funneling that money into building a new campus halfway around the world. The university continues to host about 10,000 regular students from Great Britain and the EU, plus another 3,000 international students. Against this backdrop of antagonistic and controversial decision making, the University and College Union (UCU) has rightfully lambasted university management.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady has issued a blistering attack on the university’s management. She describes their actions as a “harsh agenda of cuts.” First and foremost, Grady feels it’s “absolutely unacceptable” for the private university to lay off workers. She condemns the widespread spending of large sums of taxpayer money on what she terms “vanity projects overseas.” Staff and students alike are ever more worried about what this shows about the institution’s priorities. This concern is perhaps heightened during a period of fiscal tumult.
Clearly, the management at Lancaster University have not been quiet on this issue. A spokesperson stated, “We recognise that this period of change is a deeply unsettling time for our staff, students, and the communities we serve, and we do not enter into this process lightly.” They further expressed the view that being financially sustainable is a prerequisite to the university continuing to exist. This explanation hasn’t satisfied critics, including state lawmakers, who are calling for increased transparency about the university’s financial practices.
As part of the ongoing dispute, Grady insists that management must “open the books” to reveal how many millions have been earmarked for the new overseas campus. She emphasizes the need for collaboration between UCU and university management to protect jobs and ensure adequate student provision in Lancaster.
“Management must now open the books, tell us how many millions it has earmarked for a new campus halfway around the world, and work with us to protect jobs and student provision here in Lancaster.” – Jo Grady
The university’s leadership will be releasing a new set of financial projections in the coming weeks, which should shed significant light on where they are prioritizing their budgets. Grady’s warning couldn’t be more serious. If the university cannot meet these demands, UCU members may increase their action, with the potential of escalating to strike action before Christmas.
“If the university refuses to do so, our members will have no choice but to escalate to strike action before Christmas.” – Jo Grady
