19 February 2007
Court approves sustainability recommendations
Statement from the University of Dundee following meeting of the University Court Monday 19 Feb 2007
The governing body of the University of Dundee, the University Court today accepted the recommendations of the recent Sustainability Review to ensure the long term financial stability and sustainability of the University.
Court’s decision paves the way for a series of savings and measures to improve income generation over the next four years with the aim of generating a surplus of 3% of income over expenditure by 2010/11. The 3% target amounts to securing an additional £6.85 million over the next three and a half years through a mixture of savings and improved income generation. The interests of existing students will be fully protected throughout the process of change and staff will be treated in a fair and transparent manner at all times.
Court agreed that further consultation will take place with the unions and relevant stakeholders on implementation. The University will avoid compulsory redundancies wherever possible through natural turnover of staff and voluntary severance packages. The 3 campus trade unions have already agreed to work together with the University to strive to achieve this 3 per cent target.
The recommendations were accepted by a vote of 11:5.
Income will be enhanced chiefly through increasing the number of postgraduates - an additional 200 places on taught postgraduate programmes are planned over the next three years - and improving the university’s recovery of research overhead costs. Together these measures aim to generate £2.1 million.
The remaining £4.7 million will be secured through savings across the university over the next four years including £2.1 million of savings across the four colleges and general savings of £475,000 in support services. Some savings will be achieved through more rigorous workload and workforce planning but the greater part is expected to be through modest reductions in staff. In addition to other measures, redeployment and retraining will also be offered wherever appropriate. At every stage, the University will safeguard the interests of current students, keep staff informed of progress and will consult with representatives of the three recognised trade unions, UCU, Unison and Amicus.
Additional specific areas identified for targeted savings include the gardens and grounds department including the botanic garden, communication and language studies; town and regional planning and community education. Each of these are dealt with below:
Botanic Garden
When they opened in the 1970s, the gardens played a key role in supporting the teaching of plant sciences and in related research, but this is no longer the case. While some modest use is made of the gardens for students and staff, they can no longer be identified as essential to the University’s core activities. The Court recognised their wider community value and the many representations they have had from Friends of the Gardens and local residents some of whom share in the complex ownership of the garden. They noted that other botanic gardens, for example in St Andrews and Glasgow, are managed by the local authority and they endorsed the University’s move to establish a joint working group with membership from the Friends of the Botanic Garden, Dundee City Council and Dundee Partnership with the intention of securing the future of the Garden on a new foundation. The University has no wish or proposal to close the Botanic Garden nor to sell it for development.
Communication and Language Studies
The university will continue to offer modern languages on a modified basis. While we aim to achieve some savings in staff cost, all students currently taking a degree with a language will be able to continue to do so and studying foreign languages as part of degree programmes will be retained. We also expect to be able to continue to offer languages courses to members of the public.
Town and regional planning
The study of town and regional planning will be reshaped to focus on planning and the environment in line with current strengths and trends. Postgraduate courses in this area will also be strengthened and developed, linking with other disciplines including geography and architecture.
Community education
Community education will be integrated with education and social work reflecting the wider policy of interdisciplinary working in this area. This approach will provide a more focused learning experience for prospective professionals and the change is in line with the academic reshaping currently taking place within the School of Education Social Work and Community Education.
Court acknowledged the volume of correspondence from interested parties expressing their views about the sustainability proposals.
University Principal Sir Alan Langlands said: "We have a challenging time ahead - in common with other Scottish universities - but I am confident that the University Court has taken the right decision and these measures will secure Dundee’s continued success to the ultimate benefit of students and staff. Universities are among society’s most resilient institutions due to their capacity to continuously redefine their relationship to a changing world. I reiterate our commitment to students, to staff and to the wider community in taking these measures forward. Dundee has achieved tremendous success in recent years in learning and teaching, research and knowledge transfer. It has contributed enormously to the economic social and cultural life of the City and Scotland and it will continue to do so."
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The recommendations of the recent Sustainability Review of the University are of interest to staff and students. To ensure you are fully informed of the University’s true position, the reasons why the Court has endorsed the recommendations and the nature of the recommendations themselves. Please read the following:
For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate
Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
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