The Executive Board of the University of Exeter has proposed cutting around 150 staff roles, reports the BBC, with with 115 of them in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, according to Times Higher Education. The Exeter University and College Union (EUCU) states that the situation actually puts “500 staff—14% of all academic staff—at risk of compulsory redundancy” and have launched a petition objecting to the plan, which they say represents an “existential threat to humanities and social science disciplines at Exeter.” According to one source, there is a risk that 5 out of 19 philosophy staff will eventually be laid off. The university issued a statement about the cuts, the BBC reports, which says: “We hope to achieve these changes through voluntary measures and will continue working closely with our community and trade unions to avoid compulsory redundancies wherever possible.” It added that while Exeter “remains in a strong position”, rising costs, decline in tuition fee income, underfunded research, and a sustained drop in international student demand mean action must be taken. “These changes are intended to secure the university’s long-term sustainability, protect our teaching and research excellence, and ensure our activities remain aligned with future priorities”. In the petition, the union says: These proposals represent both a stunning failure of leadership on the part of the university’s senior management and governance…. The university has failed to make a convincing case that this programme of cuts is necessary, based on a sound financial rationale, or that other options have been exhausted: indeed, EUCU has seen the uni’s own modelling that shows the closing of the deficit by 2029, with £50m cash reserves, without compulsory redundancies (instead by way of voluntary redundancy and a vacancy freeze). Moreover, EUCU has repeatedly requested the financial data that we would need for meaningful collective bargaining. Such requests have been ignored to date, and are currently the subject of a referral by EUCU to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC)…. Exeter UCU branch will ballot for local industrial action, and pass votes of no confidence in the Vice Chancellor, University Executive Board and Council, at the earliest opportunity. Regarding the targeting of the humanities and social sciences, it states: The rationale for this disproportionate targeting..

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