USQ axes 260 degrees - mass retrenchment is 'exciting' ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

University of Southern Queensland to axe 130 jobs

27 November 2007

Up to 130 staff, including academics, will lose their University of Southern Queensland jobs next year as hundreds of unpopular courses are axed.

The university's vice-chancellor, Bill Lovegrove, yesterday shocked about 800 staff who assembled for his announcement at the Toowoomba campus.

He outlined a restructuring program with cost savings – including wages – of $8.5 million a year, with 260 degrees to be phased out.

"This is all about renewing the university for the next 10 years," Mr Lovegrove told The Courier-Mail.

"It's highly exciting for the university, with the downside we'll have fewer staff to do it with," he said.

But National Tertiary Education Union branch president Brad Astbury said the mood among staff was anything but excitement.

"There was stunned silence," Mr Astbury said.

"Some people feel in danger of losing their careers because Toowoomba doesn't have a lot of opportunities for them, so they might have to consider moving to another major centre."

See - USQ - 260 degrees to go.

Might be a few less blog visitors from the university ...