University of Wollongong to cut 276 non-academic jobs

The University of Wollongong (UOW) plans to cut up to 10 percent of its non-academic staff due to financial challenges. This decision follows a drop in revenue, partly linked to changes in international student visa processing that have affected enrollment numbers. The university has already announced a total of around 276 job cuts this year. This includes 91 academic positions that were cut in January. UOW's officials stated that the university is facing significant financial issues, prompting the need for restructuring. Along with staff reductions, UOW plans to merge its faculties from four to three and reduce the number of schools from 18 to 11. The university aims to save between $22 million and $26 million through these changes. The Community and Public Sector Union has expressed concerns over how the redundancies are being communicated. Representative Troy Wright criticized the university's failure to provide complete information and engaged in a late notification process. Students at UOW are also worried about the impact of these cuts on their education. Many have expressed their concerns about the potential loss of courses. Some students, like Hiba Shahbaz, have noted increased activism on campus in response to the cuts. Student representative Antonios Tzamouranis voiced frustration about the lack of consultation with students on these decisions. He emphasized that students have had very little meaningful communication with the university administration regarding the cuts.