University of Derby staff face mass job cuts as management plans to axe half of senior academics

The University of Derby has announced plans to make half of its most senior academics redundant, putting some of the institution's most experienced researchers, teachers and experts at risk.

The compulsory redundancies come after the launch of a voluntary redundancy scheme which has already seen several senior staff decide to leave. This signals a worrying change in strategic direction at the University - away from being a top ranked teaching institution under-pinned by research.

UCU said the move would cause lasting damage to Derby's academic reputation and warned it could undermine its Gold-rated teaching status.

A UCU spokesperson said: 'This is an unnecessary attack on some of the most dedicated and knowledgeable staff at the University and will have implications. A university is only as strong as its academic base, and axing half of its senior academics is a dangerous and short-sighted move.

'We are engaging with the University's HR department in the hope of finding an alternative way forward. There is no justification for compulsory redundancies at this time. Rather than slashing jobs, university leadership should be joining us in demanding proper funding for the sector'.

The planned cuts form part of a wider crisis across UK higher education. UCU estimates up to 10,000 academic jobs could be lost across the country due to chronic underfunding and mismanagement.

UCU is calling on the government to step in with urgent emergency funding to protect jobs and safeguard the quality of education and research across the UK.