University of Sussex plans to cut 200 jobs

The University of Sussex has said it plans to cut 200 jobs as part of an attempt to save £35m annually.

The facility in Brighton will begin a 45-day consultation on Thursday over the potential redundancies, which include roles in admissions, student support and IT services.

With two voluntary redundancy schemes having already shed 528 staff in the last year, trade union Unison said further cuts would only add to the "strain and uncertainty" facing those who remained.

The university's vice-chancellor, Prof Sasha Roseneil, called the situation "regrettable", but added "very difficult decisions" were needed to "address the financial sustainability crisis affecting UK higher education".

Unison said the latest cuts were being driven by the university's plans to reduce annual spending, following a huge loss in international students.

It added that staff would initially be offered voluntary redundancy, but "compulsory redundancies could follow if insufficient numbers come forward".

The union's South East regional secretary, Jo Galloway, said it was "unacceptable to ask remaining employees to carry even heavier workloads after hundreds of colleagues have gone".

"Universities cannot cut their way to stability while expecting staff and students, who will also feel the impact, to pay the price," she added

Roseneil blamed the move on the "long-term underfunding of teaching and research, ongoing inflationary pressures and a steep fall in international students driven by government policy changes".

She said the university had already "significantly reduced expenditure through non-pay savings, vacancy management and cutting our capital programme".

"Despite this, we still need to make further savings to ensure our long‑term financial sustainability," she added.

Stressing the university's commitment to enriching its students and supporting its staff, Roseneil added she was "very sorry not to have been able to avoid this announcement".

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