By Thomas Henry

Copyright news

UTS revealed an updated proposal for its restructure on Wednesday, which proposed closing its education, public health and international studies schools, while its business and law faculties would be combined.

The move would also involve axing 134 full-time equivalent academic roles, the discontinuation of 167 courses and more than 1100 subject, shrinking 24 schools into 15 and six faculties into five.

The restructure is part of a broader plan to return the cash-strapped university to surplus after five years of deficits since the pandemic.

The university identified an estimated $80m in savings from the cuts, with an additional $20m expected to come from limiting executive and senior staff remuneration among other measures.

The university attributed the cuts to a combination of changes in federal funding, limited ability to increase revenue and longstanding impacts from the pandemic.

“UTS is focused on achieving a sustainable future where students can continue to get the quality of education they expect, and we can continue to deliver research outcomes for the communities that benefit from our work,” Vice-Chancellor Andrew Parfitt said.

“Our commitment to public education and focus on the student experience is paramount.”

Though a final decision is yet to be made on the futures of its academic staff the Professor Parfitt said he “did not underestimate” the impact of the changes on teaching staff.

“I deeply regret the need for job losses. During this time of proposed change across UTS, we are keenly aware of the potential impacts on the health, wellbeing and safety of our staff,” he said.

“In order to alleviate uncertainty and stress right across our community, we are taking every measure we can to limit impacts and ensure opportunities for engagement, consultation and feedback.”

The release of the proposed changes was met with furore by the National Tertiary Education Union, who claimed UTS was favouring “short-term financial optics” over its responsibility to quality higher education.

“Let’s be clear: these are choices, not necessities,” NTEU NSW division secretary Vince Caughley said.

“UTS recorded record income in 2024, staff costs are lower in real terms than in 2019, and their own modelling shows the university would return to surplus by 2029 without cuts.”

The union’s UTS branch president Sarah Attfield said staff were being sacrificed for “the sake of manufactured urgency to return to surplus”.

“Staff worked tirelessly to unpick the unconvincing arguments UTS management put forward for the need to save $100 million. We also gave viable alternatives to job and course cuts, but UTS management have dismissed our suggestions,” she said.

“Why call for consultation if staff won’t be listened to?”