Union fears loss of more than 150 jobs at Aberystwyth University

Nation.Cymru staff

More than 150 jobs could go at Aberystwyth University under a £16m savings plan, according to the University and College Union (UCU).

The university has confirmed it will employ fewer staff by the end of its restructuring but has yet to say how many jobs will be axed. The union said most of the cuts would fall on teaching and research staff.

A spokesperson for the university’s UCU branch said: “Aberystwyth University UCU are devastated and angry by the announcement that over 150 jobs are to be lost at Aberystwyth University. This follows the loss of more than 150 colleagues in the last eighteen months in the previous round of restructuring.

“Most of these cuts will fall on teaching and research staff. We estimate a quarter to a third of our academic staff will not be employed at the university by this time next year. Coming after previous rounds of job losses they represent a devastating blow to our university, our students and our community.”

The branch said official figures showed the university had lost more than 450 posts between 2014 and 2025, including 250 academic and 200 non-academic roles. It said those figures excluded jobs lost last year and the latest planned cuts.

“This is part of a wider crisis in higher education,” the spokesperson added. “Welsh universities are facing significant deficits, making massive cuts and increasing numbers of job losses with official data showing a fall of around 640 staff in 2024/25 alone. Figures for this year will be even starker.”

The university aims to save around £16m by the end of the 2027–28 academic year. The latest phase will cover all academic units and run alongside an ongoing review of non-academic departments.

The academic reviews will begin in February 2027 and examine which courses the university offers, what they teach and how departments are staffed and funded. The university will start with the academic schools it is already forming before reviewing departments that have yet to join one.

Tuition fees

Vice-chancellor Professor Jon Timmis said regulated tuition fees had fallen behind the cost of teaching and changes to UK visa and immigration rules had made it harder to recruit international students, who pay higher fees.

“Once restructured, we will employ fewer staff, which will help to ensure future sustainability of the university,” he said.

“We recognise the uncertainty this can bring and will provide support and seek to work with our trade unions. We are committed to trying to mitigate redundancies where possible and will be giving staff access to a voluntary severance scheme.”