The situation unfolding at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB)
The university has announced proposals for 74 redundancies, including 31 technical services staff, 24 academic staff, and 19 professional services staff. For a specialist creative institution with a relatively small student body, this is quite devastating.
The announcement was made to staff last Friday (16 May), and while the university has issued internal communications emphasising that the “student experience will not be affected,” the reality on the ground tells a very different story.
The technicians being targeted are the backbone of our creative education; they support every single course.
Without them, courses will not be able to deliver the hands-on skills, industry-facing projects, or creative experimentation that students were promised and that AUB is known for. Their loss will sadly be felt immediately.
What makes this story even more pressing is the discrepancy between the university’s public reassurances and the practical implications of these cuts. In one internal communication, Vice-Chancellor Lisa Mann states:
“We would like to reassure you that this will not affect your student experience or have an impact on teaching commitments.”
In another follow-up email sent this week, she confirms the actual proposed job losses:
Technical Services: 31 roles
Academic Staff: 24 roles
Professional Services: 19 roles
The university has said that these are “only proposals” and part of a consultation period. However, consultations of this scale typically lead to substantial losses, especially when framed as necessary for “financial resilience.” The rationale cited includes rising operational costs, increased National Insurance contributions, and declining sector-wide student recruitment.
