University of Aberdeen has officially launched Adapting for Continued Success (ACS), a programme which paves the way for major changes at the institution.
ACS looks to be a wide scale restructuring of the University, considering course provision, staffing, student experience and institutional culture and values. The plan has prompted questions on how changes will impact students and staff.
The plan outlines that it will meet the needs of students, staff, and society, as well as providing a ‘digital transformation’ of the wider academic experience.
This programme looks to address the financial challenges at the University as it looks to reduce its £4.3 million deficit to break even by 2028 in accordance with its 3-year financial plan.
In 2024, University officials announced cuts to less popular courses, implementing a voluntary redundancy scheme and halting almost all staff recruitment. The measures caused worry among staff and students around the future of their jobs and degrees.
Newly appointed Principal Pete Edwards, chair of the ACS strategic programme board, insisted that this programme would have been necessary despite the financial situation.
Speaking to The Gaudie, Professor Edwards expressed the desire for this plan to address a wider change that is needed throughout the University. He touched on the need to adapt with the current times, and in accordance with the University’s strategy Aberdeen 2040. Edwards remained very optimistic about the impact the plan will have on the University, students, and staff.
Edwards remarked that without change, we would be “delivering classes in Latin.”
Fraser Bell, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and a workstream lead within the ACS programme, also expressed optimism at the change this programme could deliver. He noted that not only was this programme necessary to support the delivery of the University’s aspirations, but that change is an integral part of the university’s tradition. When speaking to The Gaudie, Bell noted that “we are here today because our predecessors supported the adaptation of the University to meet the needs of society, and we must do the same.” Edwards remarked that without change, we would be “delivering classes in Latin.”
Bell acknowledged difficult decisions ahead and that there may be student and staff concern. However, he is confident that ultimately ACS will produce an outcome that will meet both the financial goals and help to improve student-staff satisfaction.
“Students should always be concerned about significant restructuring,” commented Dr Daniel Cutts, teaching fellow in the school of Languages, Literature Music and Visual Culture (LLMVC) and Co-Chair of Aberdeen UCU staff union.
“We want the University to be financially stable; however, this should not be achieved at the detriment of students or staff.”
In conversation with The Gaudie, he expressed that staff are anxious about changes that ACS could bring, saying “We (the staff) are holding our breath in anticipation of the restructuring that is coming. This is in addition to two rounds of voluntary severance, increased workloads, and (at this point) no pay rise. We have seen at many other Higher Education Institutions that restructuring goes hand in hand with compulsory redundancies.”
The academic added, “We want the University to be financially stable; however, this should not be achieved at the detriment of students or staff.”
Dr Cutts was working within the School of LLMVC when the University announced the scrapping of language degrees in 2023. He believes this was the start of restructuring now taking shape, and that the University is moving towards a more ‘marketised model’.
“When we cut programmes they never come back,” warned Dr Cutts, expressing how the cut to courses and programmes is irreversible.
The union organiser also expressed concern about the potential for ‘unfunded research’ to be reviewed. He highlighted how this could potentially open the door for staff on teaching-research contracts to be repurposed.
He expressed the need for student-staff solidarity and cooperation around the ACS programme by voicing their concerns together.
“We (the staff) need to stand together with students to ensure the University does not change beyond recognition,” asserted Dr Cutts.
“We (the staff) need to stand together with students to ensure the University does not change beyond recognition”
ACS will be operated by the Strategic Programme Board (SPB), which oversees operations of each workstream which will report to the board every few weeks. SPB will then report to the Senior Management Team (SMT), who report to University Court.
Principal Prof Pete Edwards will be the Senior Responsible Owner of the SPB; he will be accountable for the programme’s direction and its potential successes. He will also be chair of the ‘Organisational Design’ workstream for Academia, and a member of SMT as Principal.
Each workstream will look to establish data and information about the current situation of the University over four of the workstreams (excluding the digital and physical infrastructure) up until December. This will be in the lead up to the SPB’s first report to the University’s court.
Then, the SPB will look to produce a ‘detailed proposal and business case’ on two of the workstreams by March 2026. The programme is yet to confirm the other workstream’s operations after the Christmas period.
There is yet to be any indication on what the notable changes will be from the Adapting for Continued Success plan.
There is yet to be any indication on what the notable changes will be from the Adapting for Continued Success plan. The programme will primarily consider changes to coincide with financial plans and Aberdeen 2040.
How can I get involved?
COO Fraser Bell noted that “there was a wish to ensure students were involved in the decision-making process” in a recent University Senate meeting.
The Students’ Union (AUSA) has been consulted on developing a ‘student engagement plan’.
Currently, the ACS Strategic Programme Board is developing a plan on how to engage and consult students. The Students’ Union (AUSA) has been consulted on developing a ‘student engagement plan’.
AUSA is yet to provide a comment on the consultation.
However, The Gaudie has learned that student workshops are set to be organised to allow students to learn more about the ACS programme and for the University to gain input from students.
Each workstream has a student officer from Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) – it will be their job to voice student concerns and feedback. The amount of input these representatives will have within the workstreams are still unknown. It is also unknown whether University officials will appoint trade union representatives in ACS workstreams.
The Science Teaching Hub will host an informal information session for staff and students at noon on 27 October and organisational design workshops on 29 October and 4 November.
Updates and further details can be found on the StaffNet site for Adapting for Continued Success (/https://www.abdn.ac.uk/staffnet/working-here/adapting-for-continued-success/).
