The University of Essex has announced it is looking to cut staff and close one of its campuses as it looks to create a more “sustainable” future. 

In an update to staff, the institution outlined that it intends to begin a phased redundancy process across its operations, with plans to cut about 200 academic roles this year, and professional service roles by 200 over the next two years.  

As part of this, the university will also be closing its Southend campus next summer, after its international student numbers fell by 52 per cent since 2021-22. It expects about 800 students to choose to transfer to its Colchester campus from September.

The university said these are “exceptionally difficult” and “sad” decisions to make, but said “focusing our teaching, research and student services on fewer sites will give our university a consolidated platform for the future and enable us to better respond to the significant financial challenges facing the whole UK higher education sector”.

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Frances Bowen, vice-chancellor at Essex, said it “must deliver our mission in a different way”, adding the decisions will “strengthen our long-term sustainability and positions Essex for the next 60 years”.

“This not only means having to operate more efficiently and reduce our costs, but also focusing on our strengths and delivering a student experience across the whole university that matches the investment students are making in their own future,” she said.

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“We know this news will cause concern among our staff and students, and we are putting in place additional support to help them throughout this period and updating them regularly.

“This is not a decision we have taken lightly but after reviewing all reasonable alternatives, we find ourselves having to make decisions we could have never previously imagined.”

Bowen added that she is “exceptionally proud” of the contribution of staff at the university’s Southend campus, and said they “[have] and will leave a lasting legacy”.

But the decision was criticised by unions who called on management to work with them to avoid job losses. 

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University and College Union general secretary Jo Grady said: “Staff are the lifeblood of our universities and announcing mass redundancies in the run-up to Christmas is cruel. 

“Management at the University of Essex must rethink these plans and work with us to find alternatives to the loss of hundreds of jobs. The sector is struggling but we can’t accept these cuts and closures. We will be prepared to take action to protect staff and their students if management doesn’t rethink its plans.”

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com