Dear students,
As the Vice-Chancellor of BU, it is my responsibility to ensure that the university goes from strength to strength, and that we work as hard as we can to deliver for you, our students.
I have written to you a couple of times about the difficult decisions we are having to make at the university, and I am committed to keeping you updated with the changes taking place.
I know some of you have questions and concerns about what is going on and, while this email is quite long, I want to give you as much information as possible, so you know what is happening at your university.
Student Q&A on changes
I am working closely with SUBU to understand the impact of the proposed changes on our students and would like to invite you to an open Q&A session where I will share more information about the changes being proposed for BU, why we need to make these changes, and what impact these changes may have on you.
I look forward to this opportunity to get your thoughts on the proposed changes and answer any questions you may have. There is no need to book, and you can drop into the Lees Lecture Theatre on Talbot Campus on Tuesday 20 May from 11.15am - 12.15pm. You can also join this session online through the following Teams link.
Students’ Union President Esther Isaiah will also be there on the day to share SUBU’s approach to representing student views and can answer questions about this.
Information on the current situation
Universities across the country are being asked by the government to review their finances. Many, including BU, are also having to make some adjustments to the way they work in order to remain financially sustainable and to ensure a long and successful future.
Universities are complex organisations, and we have obligations to regulators – like the Office for Students – and to our banks to show that we are being responsible in how we run the university whilst protecting your student experience.
BU is facing increased financial pressure, caused by a range of issues. These include higher staff costs with increased pension contributions and running costs for the university and our buildings, as well as increased National Insurance contributions. Tuition fees, which until recently have been frozen for many years, are also a factor. When we consider the effect of inflation, the real-terms value of the tuition fee has decreased over time, even with the recent increase, meaning that universities receive less money for each student they teach.
We are acting now to tackle our financial challenges and place BU in a strong position going forward. Sometimes these adjustments mean making tough decisions, but they need to be made to make sure we continue to do the things that matter most – like making sure you get the best possible experience while you are with us, including high quality teaching, the best possible outcomes in your studies and graduate employment.
What this means for BU
As I have previously shared in my emails to you, we are restructuring the university, which includes having to make a reduction in the current number of people who work here (over 1,600 colleagues), resulting in the loss of around 100 academic staff and 100 non-academic staff. I am devastated about this and the impact it has on the dedicated staff here at BU. However, in making these decisions, we are building a university which is better able to meet the challenges which we’ll face in the future.
We are making these changes in a fair way, by consulting with all our staff on the proposals, and giving staff the opportunity to volunteer for redundancy where this option suits them.
It is always hard to give you all the details of these decisions in an email, but please be assured we are committed to looking after people, and listening to their feedback on these proposals, throughout the consultation. We also want to hear from you if you have any questions or concerns.
I hope that many of you will take up my offer to come and meet me to discuss these changes, especially if you have questions.
Undoubtedly this is a challenging time for BU and for many universities in the UK, and many of the staff you know may be affected by these proposed changes. Since joining BU I have known it to be a friendly and caring place, so I know you’ll join me in making sure we make the best decisions for everyone in our community.
Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you at the Q&A on 20 May from 11.15am - 12.15pm.
With best wishes,
Professor Alison Honour
Vice-Chancellor
Bournemouth University