Business cases published

The university had to cut 15 million from its budget in order to balance its finances. They had already opened the voluntary redundancy scheme to see how far that would get them. And when that would be a bit clearer, they would provide a business case per administrative unit (colleges, schools, services etc). 

These business cases have now been published. And it had already been said by the Dean of the college, but it is now officially confirmed; we as the School of Ocean Sciences officially don't have to make any cuts. Our business case shows the loss of one professor, but I had a bit of a tally, and this is the professor that has retired in January. We don't have to lose additional people. And more professors will retire, but as these are not on the list to be cut, we can replace them.

From the email in which the publication of the business cases was announced

We also don't have to lose what nowadays is called professional staff (not sure if they are suggesting that all staff that is not listed under professional staff is unprofessional). That surprised me a bit, as there had been word that our photographer was taking voluntary redundancy. The latest gossip has it that he will take early retirement instead. Which is good news! He is leaving anyway, and this way he will be replaced.

So it's even more official now than it was. But it's now also clear of what the situation is in the Schools and services that do take the brunt.

There are two men from the school of Psychology and Sports Science in the Thursday Night Hill group. Their school has to lose a lot of people! And on Friday I bumped into the neighbour with the collapsed wall. She is professional staff, stationed in the same School. So they all spoke of the gloomy atmosphere there. That's sad!

I know universities are likely to initially show a rather gloomy picture. Firstly, so that they can later say that they did a really good job in limiting the damage; secondly, so that a lot of people get scared and take voluntary redundancy, which is the most palatable way of getting rid of people. So I suppose the initial 200 redundancies were never going to happen. They've scaled it down to 78. Still a lot! I hope the people who end up carrying this burden will land really well somewhere else…