Student's fears over potential university cuts

A student at the University of Derby has said she is concerned about the future of her education as the university is considering cutting a number of academic jobs to save money.

Verity Verhoven, who is studying for her MA in screenwriting, said she was worried she might not gain her qualification, if her tutor loses her job.

Universities across the country have been revealing big financial problems due to rising costs and the falling number of overseas students.

Unions are opposing the potential cuts but university leaders have said painful choices have to be made.

It is understood the University of Derby originally put 85 academic staff roles at risk of redundancy but this has now been reduced to 20.

Verity, 21, who completed her degree in film and TV production at Derby before enrolling on the MA (Master of Arts) in screenwriting for film course at a cost of £7,000, said the situation "filled her with a lot of anxiety".

She said: "Students have been told very little, so from our perspective there's a lot of, am I going to get my degree? What's going to happen? Am I going to get taught by someone else?

"I've built up a rapport and collaborated with my lecturer for so long, and if she goes, what am I supposed to do? I'm worried I won't even get my MA, which has been a dream of mine since I was a kid."

Tristram Hooley, a professor of Career Education at the university and a member of the University and College Union (UCU) said: "We don't really think there's a very strong rationale for the redundancies.

"We don't think it's a very sensible decision to get rid of some of your most senior, skilled and able of staff but what we do all agree on is that there is a higher education funding crisis and that is very worrying and is affecting universities right across the country."

Union in Derby have put together an alternative funding plan which they said could save money and avoid job cuts.

Prof Hooley also said he thought the government should step in and help with university finances.

Deputy vice chancellor of the University of Derby, Prof Keith Mclay said: "Students are at the absolute heart of everything we do.

"Their excellent experience is marked out by our TEF (Teaching Excellence Framework) gold rating and also by our top five for quality."

The university did not want to comment on the extent of the financial difficulties at Derby.

However in relation to the potential job losses and concerns of the academics, Prof McLay said: "We're prioritising those colleagues in which we can have the roles that are engaged in exceptional world-leading research that can provide solutions to the world's problems but also and importantly ensure that we are informing our degree curricular here at the University of Derby, so that we can maintain our excellence in learning and teaching."

He also added they have looked at the alternative financial plans put forward by academics but said many of the cost-cutting measures proposed were already in place.

The consultation talks between the university, staff and unions are continuing, and in an update on Thursday, the university told the BBC it had informed Ms Verhoven her degree was not at risk.

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