Two jobs will be cut from Ballarat's Australian Catholic University campus, with leadership blaming the pandemic and rising expenses.
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In a statement, ACU's chief operating officer and deputy vice-chancellor Dr Stephen Weller said the two roles in Ballarat were identified in the "draft change management plan", which will reduce the workforce by 110 people across the country.
"Affected staff were engaged directly and confidentially ahead of the release of the plan," he said.
"As the plan moves through consultation and approval there will also be dedicated career counselling services available for affected staff."
In a media release, the university blamed an "uncertain operating environment for the higher education sector" and a $30 million deficit for the cuts.
READ THE FULL STATEMENT FROM ACU BELOW
"The three-year pandemic and continuing global economic instability have created an uncertain operating environment for the higher education sector.
"At ACU, workforce and non-salary expenses are rising at a rate that exceeds revenue growth, culminating in a significant financial challenge in the 2023 academic year - a deficit in the vicinity of $30 million.
"ACU is therefore, as previously communicated to staff late last year, taking steps to address the fiscal challenges it currently faces.
"This week the university will release a Draft Change Plan that reduces the professional workforce by approximately 110 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff to bring it to parity with the academic workforce.
"This formally triggers a period of consultation with the university community, which will follow the change management provisions under ACU's enterprise agreement.
"A working group led by the Provost and the Chief Operating Officer is also actively considering targeted measures aimed at addressing immediate business needs while building a sustainable future for the university."
