Major UK university cutting 450 jobs – £25m savings needed | UK | News

Ulster University staff have been told up to 450 positions are under threat as the institution looks to save £25 million.

The announcement came as the university’s latest financial accounts showed it had a deficit of £20.2 million despite recording revenue of more than £300 million.

Employees were informed of the possible redundancies during a meeting with Vice-Chancellor Prof Paul Bartholemew on Wednesday.

It is understood the university is trying to reduce its workforce through voluntary redundancies, but staff have been warned that compulsory redundancies cannot be ruled out.

The university has campuses in Belfast, Coleraine and Derry, a sports village in the former Jordanstown area, and branch campuses in London, Birmingham and Manchester. It also operates an international campus in Qatar.

People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll said on social media: “This is a short-sighted and shameful decision. Ulster University should reconsider this.”

A spokesperson for Ulster University said: “Runoffs have become inevitable in the Higher Education Sector. To date, more than 100 institutions across the UK have reduced staff numbers.

“Ulster University has sought to delay the redundancies while continuing to work with the Department for the Economy through their review of possible changes to the Higher Education funding model in Northern Ireland.

“It has recently been made clear to us that a sustainable financing model is not coming and unfortunately we must now take action to reduce our costs.”