University of Bristol jobs at risk amid lower student numbers
Staff within the department help both international and home students at the university to develop their academic language, literacy and communication skills. The university runs courses and programmes for students at all levels and from a wide variety of backgrounds, whether or not English is their first language. The UCU argues there is "no sound operational or financial rationale" for the cuts to the programme.It added the compulsory redundancy scheme relied on projected, not actual, student numbers for the next academic year.
'Changing demand'
A University of Bristol spokesperson said: "We continue to have a pipeline of applicants for this programme, but at lower numbers than several years ago. "This is no reflection on the quality of the education provided by the team but for the International Foundation Programme (IFP) to remain sustainable, we need to respond to changing demand."
The union's regional official Nick Varney said: "These job cuts would not only be devastating for the staff involved, but will leave the remaining staff over-stretched and damage students' academic experience."Taking compulsory redundancies off the table, and focusing on viable alternatives, would end this dispute."He called upon Vice-Chancellor Evelyn Welch to reverse the "unfair, ill-thought out and financially unjustifiable plans" or face potential strike action.An open letter against the cuts to university management has gained more than 900 signatures.
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Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
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