Uni to cut costs with voluntary redundancies

THE University of Exeter is asking staff to consider voluntary redundancy as it looks to slash costs as a financial crisis grips the UK's higher education sector.

- by WILLIAM TELFORD

The institution has written to all staff telling them the Exeter Release Scheme (TERS) has been reopened - but stressed there are no plans for compulsory job losses or a target for the number of staff it wants to shed.

The Russell Group university said that, along with others in the higher education sector, it is battling against tuition fee freezes, a decline in the number of international students and skyrocketing costs.

An email sent to staff said the university was facing "ongoing financial pressures" and although it had been tackling the challenges over the past two years to make sure it did not fall into the red, it was clear its costs are set to rise faster than the projected increase in income.