Staff at the University of Canberra have protested against plans to cut at least 200 jobs there.
"These cuts are dramatic. These cuts are traumatic," Lachlan Clohesy of the National Tertiary Education Union in Canberra told the protesters.
"These are cuts that have a deep effect on people that we know and people we care about members of our community. They're also incredibly inefficient. Every time universities do this, they need to spend millions and millions of dollars on redundancies."
One of the lecturers at the university, Craig Applegate, said that the university had decided that all the redundancies would be involuntary.
He accepted that redundancies would happen because of UC's difficult financial situation.
"What we really want is for this not to happen again. And that's why we're seeking an inquiry into governance at the University of Canberra at the ACT assembly level. And the Greens and the Labor Party have agreed to do that before the election, so we're expecting it to happen."
The university wants to cut $50 million from its planned expenditure.
According to an email circulated to staff, up to nine senior manager positions were expected be made redundant, with hundreds of jobs to be removed this year and in the first half of next year.
"Some will be found from positions that are or become vacant, and contracts that are expiring, but redundancies seem inevitable," vice-chancellor Stephen Parker said.
Staffing positions in the university's five faculties and in its professional services would not be exempt from job losses, Professor Parker said.
"The university is sustainable on its current funding levels if it is re-balanced and managed prudently," he told staff.
Professor Parker said the university "apologised unreservedly" to the community for job losses and said it had spent "beyond its means".
"I expect at least 200 staffing positions to be removed this year and in the first half of next year," he said.
"Some will be found from positions that are or become vacant and contracts that are expiring, but redundancies seem inevitable."
The decision comes after staff were told in August the university's deficit had blown out to $36 million this year, leading the university to eliminate the role of deputy-vice chancellor research and enterprise.
The university said its final position on which jobs will be axed would be determined by consultation.
It also follows the resignation of the university's vice-chancellor Paddy Nixon in December 2023.
The Australian National University is also trying to cut jobs and its financial deficit balloons.
