Huddersfield students say return course ‘reeks of money grabbing’ amid ‘despicable and disgraceful’ job cuts

Students at the University of Huddersfield have been hit with a series of job cuts which have left both groups worried about their future.

PhD student Khalil Botterill, 38, is in his second year studying Creative Writing at the University of Huddersfield and was set to enter his third and final year of study, but the university recently announced a series of cuts jobs and layoffs. which left him frustrated. According to Khal, he paid a lot to attend the course but has yet to receive any information from the institution as to what will happen to his course.

Khal, from Lancashire, is also worried about the staff, under whom he has studied since joining the course. He said: “It’s an incredible slap in the face for these professionals who have worked for 15-20 years in the business helping literature students, creative writing students, drama students and the like to be made to work in a part-time freelance role when they really should be compensated much more for it.

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“In my opinion, it’s a despicable and dishonorable way to treat staff who have been quite loyal for decades.” In addition, Khal says none of the employees had a face-to-face meeting about the layoffs and was only sent an anonymous email informing them that their contracts would be terminated.

Khal is not the only person who has expressed concern about the matter and how it was handled. In an open letter, BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) staff at the University of Huddersfield claim the university’s decision to cut 12% of its workforce, or around 200 staff, has disproportionately affected employees Okra.

They added: “Despite our attempts to engage in constructive dialogue regarding these layoffs, our concerns have been consistently dismissed. When we brought this issue to the Vice Chancellor’s attention, he refused to discuss the impact on our community.

“In an effort to seek transparency and fairness, we have formally requested redundancy statistics under the Freedom of Information Act. However, the Vice-Chancellor, in an unprecedented move, personally responded to our request by refusing to provide the raw data, citing sections 36(2)(b)(ii) and 36(2)(c) of the Act These sections refer to to the detriment of the effective conduct of public affairs and to the potential prejudicial effect on the operation of the university.

“This refusal to share critical information raises serious concerns about the university’s commitment to equity and inclusion. The lack of transparency and unwillingness to address our concerns undermines the values ​​of fairness and equality that the University of Huddersfield claims to uphold.”

Khal also said the decision had a negative impact on students at the university. He said he was left “very upset” by the decisions and is considering moving to another institution if necessary, even if it would be very difficult to move to another PhD supervisor.

He added: “I was upset that I was being treated this way. That we are just some kind of statistic, not thinking about the human impact here.

“I expected to work part-time for the University of Huddersfield in a case to help develop my department into a world-class leader, but this is not the case. They just think, “we’re just going to eliminate the departments that aren’t. it’s doing well for our specific metrics, it’s very frustrating, and it’s very disappointing. I feel disgusted that I paid money to an organization that treated me and my teachers this way.”

Khal is also concerned that the university is cutting arts and culture subjects so it can invest more in STEM subjects and attract more international students who pay more money. However, he also knows international students on humanities courses who have been adversely affected as they have moved all the way to the UK to study and are now left confused about what they should do.

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He said: “So the university, although it is focusing on a business perspective, to make the university more profitable, which in my opinion the university should not be addressing stakeholders and directors and things like that, would it should be all about Education should be about how the students and professionals it caters to get to spread the prestige and honor of working and studying at Huddersfield, and it’s not.

“They say there’s no budget for all the different departments, but they’ve found enough money to start building new engineering labs, new computer labs, new buildings around the Huddersfield campus.”

Now Khal hopes the university will reverse course and apologize to all affected staff. He adds: “They knowingly took money from potential students to get into the course they were advertising and then only to cut it straight away, it just smacks of cash grabs, it smacks of mercenary opportunism. It’s just disgusting.”

The BAME staff group also hopes for more accountability on the issue. In particular, they hope that the pressure on the university and the vice-chancellor will rise so that the cuts are reconsidered and the data on the cuts published.

According to the University of Huddersfield, Khal’s complaints to the university have been referred to the official complaints procedure. The consultation on the cuts is still ongoing and so the university says any suggestion that could affect certain “categories of staff lacks an evidence base” and will carry out an equality impact assessment.

The University of Huddersfield said: “Since 2012, UK undergraduate tuition fees have risen by just 2.8%, from £9,000 to £9,250, despite inflation rising by more than 50%. This precipitated a financial crisis in the university sector, affecting many institutions. We are currently among the 40% of universities facing budget shortfalls in 2023/4, further exacerbated by a 44% drop in international student numbers in January 2024, particularly due to changes in government immigration policy in pension contributions, we strain our budget even more.

“Despite these challenges, our University has shown resilience, maintaining high standards with TEF Gold and Ofsted Outstanding awards and creating research partnerships with many of the top 100 universities globally. We contribute around £300 million a year to the local economy, underscoring our crucial. Economic role We have previously initiated restructuring and voluntary schemes to deal with ongoing financial pressures across the sector but, like many universities, we must now implement a turnaround program which includes reducing our workforce by 12% to ensure financial sustainability and prepare for a challenging future where tuition fees and immigration policy are unlikely to change.

“Our commitment to educational excellence remains unwavering as we adapt to these economic realities. Our strategies, while challenging, are essential to continuing to deliver world-class education and research and to play a significant role in regional employment and economic growth. This strategic pivot. it is not just a response to immediate challenges, but a proactive effort to ensure a dynamic and sustainable future for our university.”