At this point last year, the Vice-Chancellor was claiming that UEB’s approach to reducing staff expenditure over two academic years would allow the University to return to a surplus position by the 2026/27 academic year. Despite the announced savings target of £23m having already been nearly achieved in a single academic year, the Vice-Chancellor then announced in Spring 2025 that more targeted staff cuts and uncertainty were necessary, and a set of five academic schools would face review and a targeted voluntary severance (VS) scheme starting this Autumn. Suddenly, 27/28 was the new target year to return to surplus.
Earlier today, staff in five additional work areas were told they face targeted VS, and are potentially at risk of undergoing a review and then restructure. This decision, and the meagre justifications that UEB are offering, show a complete lack of leadership or financial strategy.
The five work areas are as follows:
- Medicine and Population Health;
- School of History, Philosophy, and Digital Humanities;
- School of English;
- School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations;
- Research Partnerships and Innovation.
UEB’s justification for this stressful and destructive course of job losses has shifted from a purely financial framing relating to international student recruitment, to now forefront an ideological position of considering the University’s ‘size and shape’ with no clearly identified targets for savings.
Consistently throughout this dispute, Sheffield UCU has maintained that this level of cuts to the staff budget is both unnecessary and unacceptable, particularly given the financial state of the University based on both publicly available financial data and the financial records we have been privy to in negotiations with management. This university has the historical resources to take a more prudent approach to the drop and volatility in international student numbers, and we simply cannot continue with the ongoing pace of change, with its impact on workload, workplace stress, and morale.
Unfortunately, it seems the Vice-Chancellor and University Executive Board are committed to a programme of short-termist austerity and cuts, with no clear longer term vision.
In May when members stood down our industrial action, we knew that it represented a pause and that we would need to ballot again and be ready for potential action this Autumn.
At that time, the Vice-Chancellor and HR verbally informed the joint trade unions that the list of reviews and restructures planned for the 25/26 academic year would be IT Services, SEAS Language Teachers, and the 5 academic areas currently under review, and the 21 May email from the VC to all staff specifically identified these areas and no others. Today’s announcement contradicts that email, and again reveals the incredibly short term planning of our University leadership.
The addition of these 5 work areas to the targeted VS scheme should be a message to all of us that these cuts are for the sake of cuts, and that no area in the university is safe. There is no level of reviews or job losses that is going to be ‘enough’ unless staff stand together and say no.
We are already balloting for industrial action to fight for the jobs of our colleagues in IT Services, East Asian Studies, the Management School, Civil Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, and PS colleagues across all Schools. Our fight hasn’t changed today, but our resolve should be hardened by the announcement that Medicine and Population Health; History, Philosophy, and Digital Humanities; English; Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations; and Research, Partnerships and Innovation are also at risk.
No number of compulsory redundancies are acceptable, and we must resist the constant environment of stress and fear – for ourselves, our colleagues currently at risk, and all of the colleagues who will undoubtedly be at risk in the future unless we do something now.
Vote YES and YES in our IA ballot, and please let us know that you have voted. Our full reasons for balloting and other FAQs can be found at the bottom of this email. Please send in your ballot ASAP. If you need a new ballot paper, you can use this form to request a replacement until Tuesday 23 September 2025 (12 noon).
Come to our next general meeting on 16 September at 1pm to discuss this news, and our ballot.