The vast majority of post-92 universities in the UK are facing job cuts, with a quarter seeing more than 50 roles at risk while staff who remain potentially face worse terms and conditions, according to a University and College Union (UCU) survey.
Modern institutions appear to be bearing the brunt of the major restructuring schemes going on across the sector, with 86 per cent of the 43 branches participating in the UCU survey reporting that they have faced actual or threatened job losses in the past 12 months, and just five reporting they had not.
A majority of post-92 branches also report cuts to academics’ research time, limits on career progression and lecturing staff being asked to take on more duties including student support and recruitment.
UCU’s bargaining and negotiations official, Jane Thompson, said the union was concerned that the country would end up facing a “two-tier system”, with post-92 universities that only offer narrow curricula, which would disproportionately affect disadvantaged students.
