A university boss said it would be "compassionate" with staff and students while it reduced the "head count" to tackle a multimillion-pound deficit.
The University of East Anglia (UEA) is facing a £30m deficit for 2023-2024 and potentially £45m in three years.
New vice chancellor Prof David Maguire said boosting the student intake and shrinking the staff bill would address the issues "quite quickly".
A member of campaign group Save UEA said prospects were "frightening".
Amid growing tension on campus, a security guard attended a recent staff assembly meeting, as reported by the Eastern Daily Press, and the students' union council passed a no-confidence vote in the UEA executive team.
On Monday - the first day in the role - Prof Maguire said: "Not surprisingly, staff and students are anxious; these are difficult times for the university."
The security presence had been "slightly overplayed" and was "not a big thing", he added.
