Mass redundancy as Dundee University fires 20 percent of workforce

University’s ‘hammer blow’ to staff and students.

Staff at the University of Dundee have been informed that 632 jobs will be made redundant. This comes after news that the University’s budget has placed the institution in a deficit of £35 million, £5 million more than the estimate last November.

Professor O’Neill, interim principal, who informed staff of the threat to their jobs, has promised that an external investigation will take place. Staff and students are keen to understand the cause of the university’s financial miscalculations, despite blame being placed on a drop in international student applications. Leadership and management has come under question, with the General Secretary of the University and College Union (UCU) calling the situation a result of “egregious management failures”.

Former Principal, Professor Gillespie, resigned last December after attracting controversy and criticism from a £7000 business trip taken to Hong Kong, funded by the financially fraught University.

With a current workforce of 3000 people, these redundancies mean that over 20% of staff will be let go. In November of last year, the University of Dundee warned staff that potential redundancies may be in the future. Although, these were interpreted to be voluntary redundancies, as opposed to the involuntary redundancies staff are now at risk of.

The University of Dundee is not alone in its financial struggles, the University of Edinburgh and the Robert Gordon University also warned of job losses last year, though neither university has made statements confirming these cautions.

It is unclear if a similar situation will develop at Glasgow as a funding crisis rips through the sector. At the moment, the University of Glasgow’s finances are in the black, although its budget surplus has declined significantly from £142 million in 2022 to £29 million in the latest report.

University redundancies of this scale have never been seen before and staff from the University of Dundee have been engaging in strike action since 24 February, before cuts were confirmed.

Published 11 March 2025