Senior leaders from the Australian National University’s Research School of Social Sciences are appealing to their dean to halt forced redundancies within the College of Arts and Social Sciences. The urgency of this call has intensified since the university announced plans to cease involuntary redundancies in other departments earlier than anticipated.
The Australian National University (ANU) has committed to suspending future change proposals until 2025. However, restructuring measures initiated between May and August of this year, which aim to reduce jobs, are set to proceed. Staff members in the social sciences have expressed their concerns, deeming the decision to continue with forced redundancies in their college as unfair and inequitable.
In a letter to university leadership, faculty members stated, “Other measures… remain available within CASS. To persist with involuntary redundancies predominantly in CASS is inequitable, arbitrary, and damaging.” This sentiment reflects a growing discontent among staff about the distribution of job cuts across the university.
In May, ANU officials identified several areas expected to undergo changes as part of the Renew ANU initiative for 2025. Among the six identified areas were the College of Arts and Social Sciences, the Information Technology Services, and the Academic Portfolio. While the university initially indicated several departments would face changes, only two—Campus Environment and Residential Experience—ultimately received formal change proposals.
According to the ANU Renew website published in August, seven areas within the university would not require formal organizational changes. These areas, which include Marketing and Communications and the College of Business and Economics, are expected to implement minor adjustments to meet financial targets. Notably, on August 20, the university reported a reduction in salary costs amounting to $59.9 million. This figure encompasses **139 voluntary redundancies** and **83 forced redundancies**.
The executive staff of the Research School of Social Sciences highlighted that continuing with involuntary redundancies places their college in a “fundamentally unjust” position. They questioned why the College of Arts and Social Sciences has been disproportionately affected compared to other faculties. The letter conveyed concern that a college-specific approach risks undermining areas of strength across the university.
Staff members are advocating for the college dean to abandon the current change plan. They argue that cost-saving measures can be implemented within the college, especially following the announcement of a second voluntary redundancy program in August. The letter emphasized, “If the University’s budgetary targets can be met without compulsory redundancies elsewhere, then continuing to impose them in CASS is indefensible.”
ANU’s chief financial officer, Michael Lonergan, stated during Senate Estimates in August that all departments would need to reduce their budgets for 2024 and 2025, irrespective of whether a change proposal is in place. He noted that every area received budget reduction instructions, and some departments are meeting these through hiring freezes and reduced leave liabilities.
Mr. Lonergan explained that a formula was established to determine budget cuts, which included an overarching percentage that all departments needed to achieve. This has allowed individual colleges to decide how they will implement these reductions, leading to the current situation in which the College of Arts and Social Sciences faces significant cuts.
As the situation unfolds, the ANU community braces for the potential consequences of these changes on both staff and students, underscoring the critical need for equitable treatment across all faculties.
