Northumbria University has become the latest English institution to announce plans to slash staff costs, potentially affecting 100 jobs.
Its vice-chancellor, Andy Long, blamed fluctuations in the Nigerian currency market as well as changes to international student visas for a “very sudden reduction of the number of students, from Nigeria specifically but also from some other countries”, which has impacted income projections for 2024-25.
In a message to staff, Professor Long said the university was looking to reduce staff costs by a further £12.5 million – having saved £20 million already – after forecasting that student numbers would be 700 lower on the Newcastle campus next academic year compared with 2019-20, while staff numbers have risen by 500 in the same period.
The local branch of the University and College Union (UCU) estimated that cuts on this scale would amount to the university losing more than 100 academic staff members by voluntary or compulsory means. The university said it would not speculate on specific numbers at this stage.
