University Of Sussex launches 45-day consultation on 200 job cuts
University of sussex has begun a 45-day consultation on plans to cut at least 200 jobs and save around £35 million a year. The proposal could affect academic and professional services staff, including people in admissions, student support and IT services.
The university said it is looking to cut 200 full-time equivalent staff. Unison said the changes could affect 240 staff in total, with 17 jobs at the students’ union and 12 at the Institute of Development Studies also at risk.
Sasha Roseneil on Sussex cuts
Sasha Roseneil, the university’s vice-chancellor, said Sussex was facing the continued need to make very difficult decisions because of the financial sustainability crisis affecting UK higher education. She said the crisis has been driven by long-term underfunding of teaching and research, ongoing inflationary pressures and a steep fall in international students caused by government policy changes.
Roseneil said, “Sussex has a deeply committed community of staff and students, and I am very sorry that we have not been able to avoid this announcement of job losses.” She added that the consultation would not distract the university from its focus on student teaching and staff research.
Unison and staff pressure
Unison south east regional secretary Jo Galloway said staff have already “endured wave after wave of cuts and uncertainty” and warned that remaining employees would be asked to carry even heavier workloads after hundreds of colleagues have gone. She said, “It’s unacceptable to ask remaining employees to carry even heavier workloads after hundreds of colleagues have gone.”
Galloway also said, “Students will also feel the impact. Cutting jobs in student support and services risks damaging the quality of students’ education and their overall university experience.”
University Of Sussex savings drive
The university said around 500 workers have already left in the last year through a voluntary redundancy scheme, and that it has significantly reduced expenditure through non-pay savings since 2023-24. The current consultation now puts staff across several departments inside the savings drive, with the main question for employees being how many roles survive the process.
