Dundee University has confirmed it will reduce its workforce by 154 positions as it manages a substantial financial deficit, a decrease of 33 roles from its initial proposal made earlier in the year.
The institution's June announcement outlined plans to eliminate 187 jobs to address ongoing budget pressures. Following a 10-week consultation period that concluded in late August, the university revised this figure downward. According to reporting on the consultation outcome, staff were notified on Tuesday 25 August of the revised proposals, with the voluntary redundancy scheme opening the following day.
The university has already shed approximately 675 positions through voluntary redundancy arrangements. Despite these reductions, the institution determined it must still achieve annual savings of roughly £20m, predominantly through reductions in staffing expenditure.
Individual employees will learn whether their positions remain at risk following the consultation process. In communications sent to all staff, the university's chief people officer Dawnne Mahmoud explained that workers previously flagged as potentially redundant would be invited to meetings with their faculty vice president or director. At these sessions, staff will discover whether they are no longer at risk, confirmed as at risk of redundancy, or have been matched to an alternative role.
Can job losses be avoided?
Dundee University has stated it "remains hopeful" that necessary reductions can be realised through voluntary means. However, the institution acknowledged it cannot exclude the possibility of compulsory redundancies. According to the interim principal's recent comments, the university is aiming to cut £20 million in annual spending and may need compulsory redundancies if insufficient staff take voluntary exit offers.
As part of its restructuring initiative, the university has created 38 new roles, which it described as offering "potential opportunities for redeployment" for some staff members facing redundancy.
What areas have been protected?
The university released details on several areas previously considered vulnerable. The university-run Botanic Garden, which houses a memorial sculpture honouring families who have lost babies, will receive funding through the end of July 2027 to enable the local community and stakeholders to "develop alternative proposals for its future".
The institution also confirmed that counselling services and disability service advisor resources will not be reduced. Its current mathematics undergraduate programme will continue for the next two academic years while a redeveloped version is designed and tested.
What is the financial background?
Dundee University first disclosed a potential £30m deficit in November 2024, warning that job cuts were "inevitable". The Scottish government responded by providing £40m in emergency funding to help stabilise the institution, with officials at that time expecting this would restrict redundancies to approximately 300 positions.
However, interim principal Prof Nigel Seaton informed Holyrood's education committee in November that the Scottish Funding Council had accepted that more redundancies would still be required. A separate £22m support package from the Scottish Funding Council received approval in March 2025.
The University of Dundee's financial difficulties reflect broader challenges across Scotland's higher education sector. The University of Glasgow has announced voluntary redundancies to address financial challenges, while Aberdeen University has outlined plans for over 100 job cuts as part of a £10m savings initiative, indicating sector-wide budget pressures affecting multiple institutions.
In June, Dundee City Council leaders wrote to the Scottish government urging ministers to prevent further job losses at the university. The letter, endorsed by all four political groups on the council, requested that ministers "identify every possible option" and consider additional financial support. The Scottish government has been approached for comment.
What industrial action is planned?
Members of the University and College Union at Dundee University will undertake strike action for five weeks beginning next month. Union members, comprising academic and support staff, will strike each weekday from 21 September to 23 October. This action follows 28 days of strike activity staged by the union in the city over the preceding year.
What happens next?
The voluntary redundancy scheme for eligible staff opened on Wednesday 26 August. According to the university's latest communications, the University Court, its governing body, is scheduled to meet on Tuesday 8 September to receive a summary of the consultation and a revised version of the proposals.
Key Facts
- Dundee University reduced its proposed job cuts from 187 to 154 positions following a 10-week consultation
- The institution has already eliminated approximately 675 roles through voluntary redundancies
- The university aims to achieve annual savings of £20m, primarily through staffing reductions
- Union members will strike each weekday from 21 September to 23 October in protest at the cuts
- The University Court will consider the revised proposals at its meeting on 8 September
