Lancaster University has become the latest UK institution to announce large-scale cuts as it looks to save ?30 million.

The university has informed staff of plans to cut 400 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions by July 2026,?with?academics the first to go.

This will include more than 212 FTE academics, equating to almost one in five of the academic workforce, according to the University and College Union (UCU).?

Lancaster said it ¡°can¡¯t rule out the possibility of compulsory redundancies as a last resort¡± as the union branch plans a meeting next week to decide on a response to the cuts.

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The union added that the university is looking to cut more than ?35 million per annum from its annual expenditure by 2026-27, leaving every department at risk and ¡°no part of the university unaffected¡±.

A university spokesperson said Lancaster is ¡°not immune¡± to sector-wide financial pressures, including increased operating costs and declining international student numbers, but added that it will not be looking to close academic departments.?

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¡°We have achieved significant savings on non-payroll and through a voluntary severance scheme this year but unfortunately our financial projections show that payroll savings of about ?30 million are required over the next academic year to ensure our ongoing financial sustainability,¡± they said.

However, they continued, ¡°We are in a better financial position than some other universities, which has bought us time to work through strategic options, which will ensure that research and the student experience is prioritised and protected¡±.?

Jo Grady, UCU¡¯s general secretary, said it is ¡°simply impossible for Lancaster to bin such a huge proportion of its workforce and provide the same level of provision to students¡±.?

¡°As well as harming the livelihoods of those staff who are forced out, cuts of this magnitude would have a devastating impact on the staff who stay, students, the local community, and the university¡¯s standing in the academic community. Our members will meet next week, and a strike ballot cannot be ruled out if management refuses to change course.¡±

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It comes as academics raise concerns that widespread?university job cuts have entered a ¡°dangerous new phase¡±, with Liverpool Hope University, Cardiff Metropolitan and Arts University Bournemouth among those pressing ahead with compulsory redundancies.?

At Newcastle University, however, where union members have undertaken prolonged strike action, bosses have now ruled out compulsory redundancies, as well as offering students compensation for missed teaching.?

A university spokesperson said it had?achieved its ?20 million target of salary savings in full "without the need for compulsory redundancies" through a combination?of voluntary severance, redeployments,?and "a range of other mitigating measures"".

"This is an immensely challenging time for universities across the UK, and we are grateful to everyone in our community for their commitment and patience as we navigate towards long term financial sustainability," they added.?

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juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com