Exeter university staff rally to 'fight' job cuts
BBCStaff at the University of Exeter have vowed to "fight" proposals to cut about 150 roles while a petition against the move has gained nearly 20,000 signatures,
The University and College Union (UCU) also said there had been a vote of no confidence in the vice-chancellor, amid a planned vote for industrial action following the proposals which would impact sites in Devon and Cornwall.
Dr Joanie Willett, associate professor at the Penryn campus in Cornwall and a UCU member, said staff were "shellshocked" by the proposed cuts, which she claimed were not financially justified and risked impacting both staff and the wider economy.
The Russell Group university disputed the figures used by the union regarding its finances and added: "We fully understand that this is a worrying time for those who are affected by the ongoing consultation process – however it is important to stress and reiterate that these are proposals at this stage."
'Academic vandalism'
The institution has two campuses in Exeter, Devon, and a third in Penryn.
The union said the proposals would impact more than eight in 10 academics in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
The university said there were no proposals to close departments or disciplines and under proposals it would "continue to have one of the largest faculties of humanities, arts and social sciences in the UK".
It said the university would avoid compulsory redundancies "wherever possible" and ensure the process was "fair and consistent".
However, Michael J Flexer, Exeter UCU co-chair, said making the university's humanities scholars redundant would be an act of "self-sabotage", while cutting jobs was "academic vandalism".
"In the biggest meeting in our branch's history, our members have overwhelmingly voted no confidence in the vice-chancellor and will be meeting again imminently to begin preparations for a strike ballot if management refuses to change course," he added.
'Socio-economic impact'
Willett also raised concerns over the impact on both the 500 staff placed at risk if roles were cut - and the wider community in the region.
She said there were "about 20 staff" in the redundancy pool on the Penryn campus, with subjects ranging from environment and geography to solar engineering and modern languages.
She said it was likely job losses would "dramatically shift" what could be offered on the campus and the "way we can work with the wider community".
Job cuts could also impact the university's "socio-economic" impact in Cornwall, as well as contributions to environmental research, she added.
Willett said some departments impacted were "bringing in a huge amount of money", while subjects such as solar engineering attracted a large number of international students.
She added there was a lot of energy to "fight" the proposals across campuses and "staff are fighting this all the way".
