Dear student,
I promised to keep you updated about the current process to restructure BU and the impact on staff across the university.
The first two phases of the consultation have now finished and we have confirmed today the new structure for our faculties and some of our non-academic teams. The final plans have been shaped by the feedback from staff and we are very grateful for all the ideas and suggestions we received. We have informed the colleagues in these teams of the final structures and any impact on their individual roles.
If you are a final year student, you will not be affected by the changes to our faculties and you will graduate this year from your existing faculty. If you are returning to study with us in the next academic year, you will be given the details of your new faculty soon but be assured that your course will continue as planned.
Through this process, a number of staff have chosen to take voluntary redundancy, where it was a decision which supported their individual lives and personal circumstances. This has significantly reduced the number of staff at risk of redundancy. However, there will sadly still be some staff members who will face compulsory redundancy. We are now talking to these colleagues about the next steps and will support their wellbeing throughout. This will take several weeks but our priority will be to make sure you still get the teaching and student experience that you expect from us, during this period and in the future.
The third phase of the consultation for the remainder of our non-academic teams is underway and staff in these teams can feedback their views on our proposals until mid-July.
I will be back in touch with you after this point to update you on any further changes. In the meantime, please be assured that the university remains open and our academic teams and support services are available as usual.
Here’s a reminder why we are making these changes:
Many universities in the UK are facing financial difficulties and need to make savings to ensure they can continue to operate. This situation is due to a number of factors, including fewer international students coming here to study; increased costs such as pension contributions, running costs for the university and our buildings, and higher National Insurance contributions; and tuition fees which, until recently, have been frozen for many years. Therefore, when we consider the effect of inflation, the real-terms value of the tuition fee has decreased over time, meaning that universities receive less money for each student they teach.
Have a question?
I know that you might have questions about the restructuring and staff consultation. Please do get in touch by contacting AskBU. If you are worried about the situation, the student assistance programme from Health Assured is available for you to access 24/7. You can also get in touch with the Student Wellbeing Team or visit the University Retreat on campus. The Faith & Reflection team also offers a quiet space on campus and support for students of any faith or none.
Kind regards
Professor Alison Honour
Vice-Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer
