The University sector contraction

[Blueskybluesky1]

Is the a good place to get an overview of the state of UK universities at the moment? Mine has announced eye watering expectations for the uptake of voluntary severance prior to compulsory redundancies.
Preferrably outlining their financial states, current VS schemes or proposals for redudancies, forecasts for student recruitment etc.
It has occured to me that the sector as a whole is under a bit of cloud but I don't really know much facts. Pressumbly a lot of VCs want to keep alot of this information out of the public domain.

Yes - this site has quite a comprehensive list https://qmucu.org/qmul-transformation/uk-he-shrinking/

Wow - that is brutal.

Thanks for that shrinking blog. That is a massive, quite depressing, eye opener.

We've already been through VS and still need more staff to go. It's professional services taking the hit (which I work in) and yes, it's brutal.

It's not only awful for staff affected but more cuts will impact directly on academics and students as we are already unable to cover over the cracks from VS.

Our university has an extremely poor record on change management with very little understanding or consultation on impact, which really doesn't help matters.

The list is really scary. I used to work for Reading. Total shit show back then. Run by monkeys. I know everyone had to take a pay cut during the pandemic too. Thank god I am not there anymore

We have too. I took a buyout as faculty and retired. A lot of institutional memory was lost this last year when long serving professional staff left or retired, and it shows...my former colleagues have told me how difficult it is to get anything done.

My university is on the list. It’s a terrible mess. I’m preparing to be out of a job in the next 12 months. Years ago, I would have been devastated to lose my career (not a chance of getting another academic post), but I’m so fed up of the constant stress that it wouldn’t be the worse thing to happen. I just don’t know what else I could do.

Mine is very much on the list too. Currently sitting in a faculty briefing where we're being fed a load of flannel about exciting new lean and streamlined services. Meanwhile they need to find £18m of cuts in staffing budgets alone. VS scheme is ongoing but there's no way we won't have compulsory redundancies as well.

I'm absolutely exhausted and in some ways would frankly welcome losing my job, but even the enhanced voluntary scheme isn't worthwhile. Like so many others, I'd not just be losing a job but a decades-long career (both professional and academic). It's unbelievably shit.

I've asked for VS. I don't have confidence in the university or trust that I have a long-term future there.

But I'm so very sad and will miss my students, my colleagues, the relationships I've built up, and my research.

I'm also shattered, which does limit the sadness to an extent. There is so much to do before Christmas, and I'm on my knees.

My institution also on the UCU list. Particularly concerning that OfS (other regulators are available ) have paused work on existing and new applications to the register, degree awarding powers, name changes etc to free up resource to deal with sector closures/mergers. They clearly anticipate a lot of work in that area over the next few months.

Another one on the UCU list here. I'm limping towards retirement but not close enough to ask for VS (unlikely to get it in our dept as we're delivering health professional programmes and hold a significant number of vacancies )

Like everyone I'm just so tired and feel physically unwell. I've lost any sense of job satisfaction because I can't do anything well anymore, I'm covering teaching only tangentially related to my core expertise and have no time to offer the level of support needed for most of my students. I used to love my career.

I felt that way when I took VS and retired. I used to really love my career, but the overwork was making me physically ill. My institution is on the UCU list too. I miss my students.