Latest news with #JoeyWhitfield
Wales Online
01-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Strike action at Cardiff University called off
Strike action at Cardiff University called off The main union changed its mind after bosses agreed to no compulsory redundancies before the end of 2025 Cardiff University (Image: Western Mail ) A strike and marking boycott by UCU members at Cardiff University has been called off this afternoon. The UCU Cardiff branch drew back on threats of a walk out and disruption after bosses agreed not to make any compulsory redundancies before the end of the 2025 calendar year. Joey Whitfield Cardiff UCU President said: "We are really pleased that UCU members and staff at the university have had the threat of compulsory redundancy removed. "We remained concerned about the future of the university. But we welcome the change in tone and approach and look forward to working more closely with the university in coming weeks." You can get more story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here. The university had already said that if staff agree to suspend all industrial action that it would not make any compulsory redundancies of staff connected to the proposed cuts programme before the end of this year. That has now been agreed after talks this afternoon. You can read our story on that here. The university said it was able to do this because of the number of applications for voluntary redundancy currently received. The UCU union held an extraordinary general meeting today (Thurs May 1) to discuss this proposal with their members today.. Article continues below The university said it will publish an interim timetable next week, showing what happens between the end of the cuts consultation and a meeting of the university council on June 17. You can get more story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here. "That council meeting is the point at which we can give a definitive update on plans and their impact on staff and their at-risk status," the university said. "We want to recognise the very real human impact that the Academic Future project has had, and the level of anxiety felt more broadly across the academic and professional services. Again we have committed to working in partnership together to assess the steps that we can take to ensure that we are looking after the health and wellbeing of our staff." Members of the UCU had planned a walk out on May 2. That is off as well as the planned indefinite marking and assessment boycott, which could have affected graduations. That had been due to start on May 6. The university announced proposed sweeping cuts, including entire department closures, in January. Since then it has agreed to consider not closing the school of nursing The initial 350 job losses proposed have also gone down with many staff taking voluntary redundancy. The UCU and university said they will issue a formal statement later. Article continues below
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'My university course made me who I am - now it's being cut'
Universities across the UK are struggling with their finances. From job cuts to course closures, many are now having to make tough decisions. Most universities will still be facing financial struggles next year, even with tuition fees in England and Wales rising from £9,250 to £9,535, after years of stagnation. Before that, fees had only increased by £250 since 2012, when they tripled to £9,000. Costs, including staff salaries and building works, have continued to rise in that time - meaning budgets have been getting tighter and tighter. And the issues are not just limited to England and Wales. Queen's University Belfast has faced criticism this week over its decision to open a campus in India while planning to cut up to 270 jobs. The government says it is "committed to fixing the foundations of higher education", while Universities UK, which represents 141 universities, says the sector has been "doing more with less for years". For Cardiff University final-year languages student Darcie James, 23, the headlines hit close to home after her university last month announced plans to cut 400 jobs and close some courses. Her faculty, which she says "feels like a little family", is now at risk of closure. Nursing and music courses are also under threat. The University and College Union (UCU) branch says it will have a no-confidence vote in the leadership team at the university over the plans. Branch president Joey Whitfield, senior lecturer in Hispanic studies, says there is "a lot of anger and uncertainty", and that some students have reported staff crying to them during lectures. The university's vice-chancellor, Prof Wendy Larner, says the university's final plans "will be shaped by our community" in a 90-day consultation. "The scale of the challenge will remain, but the way that we address it will certainly be refined and developed over the next 90 days," she says. Student Darcie says she was "really shocked" by the announcements, and that, as someone who has lived with anxiety, her course - in particular her year abroad in France and Spain - has "made her as a person". She says it is "so important others have that available too". In January, the University of Kent said more jobs would be cut in a bid to save nearly £20m. Last February, the university announced proposals to cut 58 jobs and "phase out" six subjects - art history, anthropology, health and social care, music and audio technology, journalism, and philosophy and religious studies - in response to its "financial challenges". Third-year journalism student Brendan Papp, 21, is being "taught out" - meaning students currently on the cancelled course are seeing it through until completion. When he applied, he says the course ranked in the top five in the country. Now, he says, it's fallen to "dead last". An international student from Virginia in the US, Brendan came to the UK to chase his dream of becoming a sports reporter. Now, he's keen to complete his course so he can move to Madrid to do sports management instead. He says the class lost "two really good teachers because of the cuts". Now he says "it feels like you're running into a wall" and, with engagement in the course dipping, he's struggling to see the results from his hard work. Brendan says the staff have been "excellent", though, trying to provide an experience that's "as good as possible". One staff member from a different department, who asked not to be named, says they believe the previous cuts have had a knock-on effect on student recruitment, leading to further cost-saving measures and damaging staff morale. A university spokesperson says that sentiment is not reflected in its staff surveys. They say "sector finances are under severe pressure and, like many other institutions, we have been making wide-ranging changes" in order to "reflect what students and government are looking for from universities". Staff at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have announced plans to strike this week over the university's proposed cuts to 170 full-time positions. UEA says those "incredibly challenging decisions" - made in an effort to save £11m - were not taken lightly. Nathan Wyatt, 23, the student union's welfare officer and a former politics student, says he led the charge against previous cuts in 2023. He says there is a feeling of "fatigue" about facing more cuts. "The consensus on campus is that people are feeling drained, and they don't have the energy to go out and say 'no cuts' as loudly as they did before." Nadine Zubair, a digital humanities manager and co-chair of the university's UCU branch, says students and staff are affected by the cuts "in every aspect of their experience here: their morale, their workloads - everything is taking a hit". "We are a world-leading sector, but the world is watching us crumble under our own managerial panic or desperation." A university spokesperson says UEA is still committed to "high-quality student education and experience, and we will work hard to limit any impact on students". They say "compulsory redundancies will always be a last resort". Durham University says it wants to save £10m in staff costs by cutting about 200 professional services roles this year. Further savings could include cuts to academic staff next year, it says. Professional services staff support the running of the university, while academics are responsible for research and teaching. "Strenuous efforts" will be made to ensure these are voluntary redundancies, says Durham, adding that it "remains a world-leading university". Student Lily Gershon, 22, co-editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, says the cuts are making her reconsider whether she wants to go on to do a postgraduate course at Durham. She says the professional services staff who are facing cuts this year make up the "backbone" of the university. Lily, from Hong Kong, says her mum "sacrifices" to pay for her to go to university as she is not entitled to a student loan and lives on about £50 per week. But she says being the cohort whose exams were cancelled due to Covid means "we're quite a resilient bunch, so we know we can adapt". Katie Muth, assistant professor in digital humanities and modern literature - and a member of Durham's UCU Committee - says colleagues are "pretty worried across the board" by the university's announcements. She says "there's a lot of anxiety" and colleagues are concerned about their workloads increasing as people leave. "People are already working at or above capacity," she says. She believes "band-aid" solutions are not going to fix a higher education sector in need of systemic changes. A university spokesperson says all departments are being asked to find savings, and the university is engaging with staff "in an open and transparent way". They say any voluntary staff departure "would be considered in relation to the likely workload impact and opportunities to reduce workload". After the freeze on fees, universities say finances have been getting tighter for years. Then there was the shock of new visa restrictions on international postgraduates coming to the UK bringing their partners and children. International students pay higher fees, but the introduction of those restrictions in January 2024 has led to a drop of around 16% in applications. That, in turn, has led to more competition between universities to secure places for UK students. The body which regulates higher education, the Office for Students (OfS), has warned that without change on a scale not seen before, 72% of universities could slide into financial deficit - where a university spends more than it is bringing in - by 2026. "We have called for universities and colleges to take bold, transformative steps to address the challenges, and we know that many are taking action already," an OfS spokesperson said. It is also nearly impossible to tell if a university will go bust. That is because universities borrow money from banks based on the value of the assets they own, like buildings and land. If they get into financial trouble, they will renegotiate the terms of their loan with the bank - and no bank wants to see a university which owes them money failing financially. The Department for Education says the government inherited a "dire economic situation" and has taken "tough decisions to bolster universities' financial sustainability". "The Office for Students is rightly refocusing its efforts on monitoring financial sustainability, to help create a secure future for our world-leading sector," a spokesperson said. "Whilst institutions are autonomous, we are committed to fixing the foundations of higher education to deliver change for students." Additional reporting by education editor Branwen Jeffreys
BBC News
08-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'My university course made me who I am - now it's being cut'
Universities across the UK are struggling with their job cuts to course closures, many are now having to make tough universities will still be facing financial struggles next year, even with tuition fees in England and Wales rising from £9,250 to £9,535, after years of that, fees had only increased by £250 since 2012, when they tripled to £9, including staff salaries and building works, have continued to rise in that time - meaning budgets have been getting tighter and the issues are not just limited to England and Wales. Queen's University Belfast has faced criticism this week over its decision to open a campus in India while planning to cut up to 270 government says it is "committed to fixing the foundations of higher education", while Universities UK, which represents 141 universities, says the sector has been "doing more with less for years". 'Anger and uncertainty' For Cardiff University final-year languages student Darcie James, 23, the headlines hit close to home after her university last month announced plans to cut 400 jobs and close some faculty, which she says "feels like a little family", is now at risk of closure. Nursing and music courses are also under University and College Union (UCU) branch says it will have a no-confidence vote in the leadership team at the university over the president Joey Whitfield, senior lecturer in Hispanic studies, says there is "a lot of anger and uncertainty", and that some students have reported staff crying to them during lectures. The university's vice-chancellor, Prof Wendy Larner, says the university's final plans "will be shaped by our community" in a 90-day consultation. "The scale of the challenge will remain, but the way that we address it will certainly be refined and developed over the next 90 days," she Darcie says she was "really shocked" by the announcements, and that, as someone who has lived with anxiety, her course - in particular her year abroad in France and Spain - has "made her as a person". She says it is "so important others have that available too". 'It feels like you're running into a wall' In January, the University of Kent said more jobs would be cut in a bid to save nearly £ February, the university announced proposals to cut 58 jobs and "phase out" six subjects - art history, anthropology, health and social care, music and audio technology, journalism, and philosophy and religious studies - in response to its "financial challenges".Third-year journalism student Brendan Papp, 21, is being "taught out" - meaning students currently on the cancelled course are seeing it through until he applied, he says the course ranked in the top five in the country. Now, he says, it's fallen to "dead last".An international student from Virginia in the US, Brendan came to the UK to chase his dream of becoming a sports reporter. Now, he's keen to complete his course so he can move to Madrid to do sports management says the class lost "two really good teachers because of the cuts".Now he says "it feels like you're running into a wall" and, with engagement in the course dipping, he's struggling to see the results from his hard says the staff have been "excellent", though, trying to provide an experience that's "as good as possible". One staff member from a different department, who asked not to be named, says they believe the previous cuts have had a knock-on effect on student recruitment, leading to further cost-saving measures and damaging staff morale.A university spokesperson says that sentiment is not reflected in its staff say "sector finances are under severe pressure and, like many other institutions, we have been making wide-ranging changes" in order to "reflect what students and government are looking for from universities". 'Everything is taking a hit' Staff at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have announced plans to strike this week over the university's proposed cuts to 170 full-time says those "incredibly challenging decisions" - made in an effort to save £11m - were not taken Wyatt, 23, the student union's welfare officer and a former politics student, says he led the charge against previous cuts in says there is a feeling of "fatigue" about facing more cuts."The consensus on campus is that people are feeling drained, and they don't have the energy to go out and say 'no cuts' as loudly as they did before." Nadine Zubair, a digital humanities manager and co-chair of the university's UCU branch, says students and staff are affected by the cuts "in every aspect of their experience here: their morale, their workloads - everything is taking a hit"."We are a world-leading sector, but the world is watching us crumble under our own managerial panic or desperation."A university spokesperson says UEA is still committed to "high-quality student education and experience, and we will work hard to limit any impact on students".They say "compulsory redundancies will always be a last resort". 'It's making me reconsider a Masters' Durham University says it wants to save £10m in staff costs, external by cutting about 200 professional services roles this savings could include cuts to academic staff next year, it services staff support the running of the university, while academics are responsible for research and teaching."Strenuous efforts" will be made to ensure these are voluntary redundancies, says Durham, adding that it "remains a world-leading university".Student Lily Gershon, 22, co-editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, says the cuts are making her reconsider whether she wants to go on to do a postgraduate course at says the professional services staff who are facing cuts this year make up the "backbone" of the from Hong Kong, says her mum "sacrifices" to pay for her to go to university as she is not entitled to a student loan and lives on about £50 per she says being the cohort whose exams were cancelled due to Covid means "we're quite a resilient bunch, so we know we can adapt". Katie Muth, assistant professor in digital humanities and modern literature - and a member of Durham's UCU Committee - says colleagues are "pretty worried across the board" by the university's says "there's a lot of anxiety" and colleagues are concerned about their workloads increasing as people leave."People are already working at or above capacity," she believes "band-aid" solutions are not going to fix a higher education sector in need of systemic changes.A university spokesperson says all departments are being asked to find savings, and the university is engaging with staff "in an open and transparent way". They say any voluntary staff departure "would be considered in relation to the likely workload impact and opportunities to reduce workload". How did we get here? After the freeze on fees, universities say finances have been getting tighter for there was the shock of new visa restrictions on international postgraduates coming to the UK bringing their partners and children. International students pay higher fees, but the introduction of those restrictions in January 2024 has led to a drop of around 16% in in turn, has led to more competition between universities to secure places for UK body which regulates higher education, the Office for Students (OfS), has warned that without change on a scale not seen before, 72% of universities could slide into financial deficit - where a university spends more than it is bringing in - by 2026."We have called for universities and colleges to take bold, transformative steps to address the challenges, and we know that many are taking action already," an OfS spokesperson said. It is also nearly impossible to tell if a university will go is because universities borrow money from banks based on the value of the assets they own, like buildings and land. If they get into financial trouble, they will renegotiate the terms of their loan with the bank - and no bank wants to see a university which owes them money failing Department for Education says the government inherited a "dire economic situation" and has taken "tough decisions to bolster universities' financial sustainability"."The Office for Students is rightly refocusing its efforts on monitoring financial sustainability, to help create a secure future for our world-leading sector," a spokesperson said."Whilst institutions are autonomous, we are committed to fixing the foundations of higher education to deliver change for students."Additional reporting by education editor Branwen Jeffreys
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Mind boggling' as university to cut jobs and courses amid financial worries
Wales Online readers have been reacting to the recent news that Cardiff University is planning to slash 400 jobs and discontinue various degree courses. The proposed cuts have sent shockwaves through the community, with many reeling from the uncertainty surrounding the future of academic programs and employment. On Tuesday, the university disclosed its intention to reduce its academic workforce by approximately 400 full-time equivalent roles, which represents 7% of its total staff. Compulsory redundancies will be considered "only if absolutely necessary". Courses in ancient history, modern languages and translation, music, nursing, and religion and theology are set to be axed, with some schools facing mergers. Joey Whitfield, a lecturer in Hispanic studies and chair of the University and College Union (UCU) at Cardiff University, expressed deep concern, stating: "It is very bad. People are in shock and very distressed." READ MORE: Drug dealer refused to give police phone PIN - so they just pointed the screen at his face READ MORE: Undercover police burst in on gang to find them surrounded by £62,000 cash and £230,000 of cannabis The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has expressed its concern about the proposed closure of Cardiff University's School of Nursing. In a statement, the executive director of RCN Wales, Helen Whyley said: "I am very concerned about Cardiff University's proposal to close its School of Nursing. This proposal comes at a time when Wales is facing a severe nursing shortage, with thousands of vacancies placing immense pressure on an already overstretched workforce.' Facing a projected £28m deficit for the current financial year, the university has suggested that the changes aim to create "a slightly smaller university refocused around our core and emerging strengths". The final proposals are slated for review by the University Council in June after a three-month consultation period. Wales Online reader Junehill feels: "Unfortunately though, I am in total agreement with those who don't believe that to become a nurse you need to have a degree. Unless and until any government in power looks at reversing this. There are no alternatives. The University training was brought in by the Blair dynasty, who let's not forget, changed doctors contracts also, letting them opt out of them working out of hours, weekends or holidays. Because as was stated by the Blair government that doctors needed to have a viable and appropriate life/work balance. My granddaughter is currently over half way through her uni nurse training, but many of her peers have and are dropping out. Mostly because of financial restraints and the amount of debt that they accrue whilst they are students." Dapdancer adds: "Some of the comments on here about scrapping nursing degrees being a good idea are mind boggling - of course nurses need a degree level qualification - maybe in the 1950s it was OK to learn on the job, but not with all the technology and treatments these days - we can and do require nurses from abroad to have these qualifications, do we expect our nurses to be less qualified or should we just import all our nurses from abroad - it seems like things are moving that way." Kaypea believes: "Nursing never used to be a degree and that on the job training allowed people who were not keen on school to get on in life. It will be said that nurses do so much more these days. Great, you can still learn in the workplace." Dafen50 comments: "Regardless of political views and whether or not nurses should be qualified to degree level or not, up-to 400 employees could be facing redundancy, losing their jobs and lively hoods. So sad for all of them and the families affected." Dingle6677 says: "We only need universities for certain roles, as it was in the past. All the micky mouse courses should go. As for nurses they should be trained on the job as it was in the past no ifs or buts. We need to bring back manufacturing jobs, get people earning, with full time hours, paying tax, creating wealth for themselves and the country, that's the way forward." Csider1 points out: "The cuts are due the dire financial situation of universities across the uk due to the Tory government changing the rules on postgraduate dependents. UK universities got between 30-60% of their income from postgraduate students and so losing that money has had a massive impact. What's compounded the issue at Cardiff U is the huge money spent on new buildings over the last decade, most of which were not needed. Academics playing at property development!" MiriamDavies writes: "Reality has finally caught up with the money making scheme. Courses which are a waste of time and certainly a waste of money. Staff on silly wages that don't reflect the real world (where everyone else lives). In reality, they just want overseas students and fleece them for 22k per year. To be a nurse, it shouldn't need to be a degree course - but an apprenticeship in the hospital - where they can learn and earn at the same time." CardiffSouth adds: "I went to Cardiff Uni and a wake-up call for poor teaching. Too many academics in roles than fail to teach undergrads/I had just a few hours a week and told the rest to do online. Lazy!" Cantonkid1955 says: Perhaps the Vice Chancellor needs to look in the mirror, and ask herself if she is worth £290 grand a year, plus expenses, plus car. The whole university senior management need cutting back in jobs and salary. Arfabrain thinks: "Universities are just companies looking to make profit, simple as that and lets be honest degrees in reality are generally worthless in most instances, as few ever work in the field that they studied in. Also soon AI will soon replace most of these positions i.e. doctors lawyers accountants etc as AI is found to be more accurate with no personal opinion." Do you believe the university is going about the right way to save money? Let us know in the comments below or HERE.
