Cardiff University funding issues could lead to course cuts and 400 job losses

Concern raises amongst students and staff of Cardiff University, as plans are revealed by the most popular Welsh university to cut up to 400 full-time jobs due to issues with funding.

On top of this, some courses may be dropped altogether or merged with other courses.

In a BBC article, these measures were described by The Cardiff University and College Union (UCU) as "cruel and unnecessary."

Lack of funding

The university told the BBC that the cuts were only to be made “if absolutely necessary.” However, the lack of funding isn’t being helped by the decrease of international student applications and increasing cost pressures.

The latest announcement

Vice-chancellor Professor Wendy Larner has announced that amongst the courses and schools affected are nursing, modern languages, music, ancient history, translation, religion and theology. So far, the proposal has suggested closure for a 90-day consultation period.

Financial Outlook for other UK universities

Commenting on the financial outlook for UK universities on the whole, CEO Today said: “The OfS previously projected that 40% of universities would operate at a financial deficit during the 2023-24 academic year. However, this figure is expected to rise to 72% by 2025-26, with an anticipated total deficit of £1.6 billion across the sector.”

This statistic suggests that more universities may make the headlines soon with similar issues to those that Cardiff University are currently facing.

The Tab reported that “a concerningly large number of UK unis have already announced they’ll be cutting back on staff in 2025, including Lancaster University, the University of Kent, the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the University of Reading.” With Russell Group unis also having to cut back on staffing too.

How might the funding issue be resolved

A few months ago, The Guardian suggested that UK universities were increasing their fees and ask for more funding in the face of budget cuts. The issues caused by these budget cuts is now becoming more apparent as live updates of the Cardiff University cut backs start to surface.