“There is a serious mental health crisis among staff,” according to one university lecturer in the aftermath of a wave of cuts at the University of Aberdeen.
Dan Cutts, co-chair of the University and College Union (UCU) and teaching fellow, said that “People are exhausted, angry and devastated, and many feel their livelihoods are hanging by a thread.”
In February, the university announced £12 million in cuts would be needed over the next two years. A range of proposals to overcome the shortage of cash have been introduced after being approved by university Court last month.
Staff have been vocal with opposition to the plans. One anonymous lecturer told //The Gaudie// that they felt “broken.”
What are the cuts?
On 11th May, the final proposal was approved by Court. After being deferred by a couple of weeks due to Court being unable to make a decision, they approved the controversial staff:student ratios.
The university announced after the Court meeting, maintaining a student:staff ratio of 25:1 for SHAPE (humanities and social sciences) and 20:1 for STEM subjects will cause 111 full-time equivalent (FTE) job losses.
Previously, Court approved the Senior Management Team’s (SMT) plans to cut smaller courses that do not meet a certain student threshold, and to restructure the 12 schools into four faculties.
These plans are part of the ongoing Adapting for Continued Success program, which aims to make the university more “robust, resilient, relevant and adaptable.”
How have staff reacted?
“The initial shock has passed, but the anger has not. The devastation has not,” Cutts explained.
“Nothing has happened to address the underlying concerns that staff have been raising for months,” he added.
Other staff have hit out at the plans publicly and privately. Jurgen Bracht, an Economics lecturer, took to social media to discuss his grievances, saying that the proposals “should not be presented as a strategy for renewal. It looks like another way to manage decline.”
One member of staff told //The Gaudie// about their concerns with how Court came to their decision. They said that staff campaigning to stop the cuts “made no difference”
Chair in Finance, Gerhard Kiling, asked for the university to explain the reason for the cuts after interpreting a management report from April. “The University has moved from planning for a deficit to forecasting a surplus,” he said.
“Management should be asked to explain why a forecast surplus, substantial cash headroom, and savings already exceeding the target are being used to justify compulsory job losses.”
Not all the feedback has been negative, however. Steve Taylor, a Digital Solutions Specialist, shared his position on social media; “Speaking from outside the sector, I applaud the decision to make cuts like this.”
He added, “Education as a sector is one of the very worst for retaining toxic, entitled employees who ultimately degrade the institution over decades.”
Cutts highlighted the success UCU has had against the university so far:
“Redundancies were originally expected to begin next month, but UCU successfully pushed back against that timetable,” he explained.
“While that has provided some breathing space for staff, it has not removed the uncertainty hanging over hundreds of colleagues.”
What is causing the university to take these measures?
The University of Aberdeen implemented a 3-year plan in 2025 that announced it would be “necessary” to break even by 2028, after the university first forecasted a deficit of £8.5 million in 2024.
Earlier this year, the university announced that it would need £12 million over two years to reach this goal. Principal Pete Edwards criticised the current higher education sector, encouraging the Scottish Government to revisit free tuition fees for homegrown students.
In an interview with The Herald, he said, “the party that’s been in power now for an extended period of time, they have a very clear stated policy on free tuition for Scottish students.
“I think the fundamental question that Scotland needs to ask itself is what kind of higher education sector does it want?
“And it feels to me like there needs to be a national conversation about where we need to go from here.”
The higher education sector has been under significant burden over the course of the last few years, with events such as Brexit and the Covid pandemic playing a significant role in its turbulence.
Other universities around Scotland have also been plagued with funding challenges.
The University of Edinburgh announced a £140 million cost reduction plan.
The University of Dundee has had ongoing funding challenges for a number of years now, with the Scottish Government having to step in and secure an extra £30 million in funding for the university. Over 1000 jobs have been axed since their funding crisis was made public in 2024.
Student voices; what are the consequences for students?
Many students have voiced their frustration for the actions taken by the university.
“It is disappointing that our university experience is marred by decisions that we don’t have a say in. Why do we have to suffer?” commented 2nd year Politics student Luke Eveling.
Sophie, a Masters student in Archaeology shared a similar view: “They didn’t really listen to anything that the people were saying. It is just all about the administration and the money, not about the people.”
The courses that will be cut are yet to be realised. In April, it was discovered the 21 PhD courses had halted recruitment.
An anonymous PhD student voiced their concerns at the route that many universities are taking.
“We see cuts like these becoming more common across various universities, it obviously increases my anxiety about my prospects in academia,” they commented.
“I know many other PhD students are rejecting academia altogether and looking to work in industry which will result in a further significant loss of talent.”
Jo-Anne Murray, Vice-Principal of Education, promised students that “these changes will not affect your ability to complete your studies.”
What’s next?
Now that the voluntary redundancy and early retirement schemes are underway, the loss of staff could be imminent.
An Autumn review will be held in a few months to determine if compulsory job losses are necessary.
