MSPs told further job losses could be required at Dundee University

Further job losses could be required at crisis-hit Dundee University, MSPs have been warned, with a senior figure from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) saying the institution may have to “restructure”.

Richard Maconachie, the director lead of SFC’s Dundee recovery team, said while bosses at the university were looking at how to raise more money he believed it will “need to restructure” going forward.

And he told MSPs on Holyrood’s Education Commitee: “I have not said that there are not more job losses to come.”

However with regard to these Mr Maconachie stressed the importance of ensuring any job losses are “in the right place”.

He added: “That is why you need a strategy and a vision to ensure any losses are properly rationalised and justified.”

His comments came in the wake of reports this summer that the recovery plan produced by the university had proposed reducing staff numbers further.

Dundee had announced plans to cut some 300 posts as it tried to deal with a £35 million deficit – with this sparking protests from unions.

However reports have now claimed the recovery plan that was put forward by the university had proposed a further 220 voluntary redundancies along with 170 compulsory redundancies.

Mr Maconachie stressed however that this report had not been approved” by the SFC, adding: “We have said it needs further work.”

But he denied suggestions from committee convener Douglas Ross MSP that the report had been rejected by the funding body.

“I wouldn’t say we have rejected it,” Mr Maconachie said.

Mr Ross insisted: “You’re not accepting it, it’s not been approved, it’s been rejected. Just be honest.”

Mr Maconachie told him: “I am being honest with you. I don’t regard us as having thrown it on the heap, as it were.”

He went on to tell the committee that Dundee University was “looking at income generation opportunities” – adding that the “strongest” option here could come from new courses being offered.

Dundee University’s recovery plan was “not particularly vocal” on income generation, Mr Maconachie stated.

But he added: “The main areas of income generation we think are the development of new courses that are in demand for students, and international students in particular.”

However he went on to say that while “income generation is part of the solution” he also said he believed there “will need to be further restructuring”.

He said that the SFC was “trying to draw up a route map for the next 12 months and to get the university to agree to that”.

When that happens he pledged there would be “work at pace” to implement this.

But almost a year on from difficulties at the university emerging, Green MSP Maggie Chapman – who is also the rector at Dundee University – said it was “11 months down the line with still no plans, no clear vision of the way forward”.

Mr Maconachie said that “I think the whole of SFC and I personally am frustrated” with the situation.

But he said the university is “an autonomous institution and we have to respect that”.

He also said there had been “changes in leadership” at the university, saying these have “added to the delay and the lack of direction sometimes”.