Frequently Asked Questions Strategic Review

The University receives approximately £70M in SFC funding. The cuts will therefore represent a 10% reduction in 2011/12.

It is not in the interest of any Scottish Government to allow the Scottish HE Sector to fall behind the English system. A ‘Scottish Solution’ will have to be found that provides similar levels of funding. The balance between public funding and other contributions is still under debate. It is clear that funding in Scotland has to be maintained at a level commensurate with that in England, whatever the source of funding, whether by graduate contribution, public funding, or a combination of both or indeed by other additional means.

The future funding position is unclear, as the SFC funding announcement only provides information for the next financial year. The May 2011 Scottish elections mean that future budget plans are unknown. It is anticipated that the next Scottish Government will need to introduce a ‘Scottish Solution’ in time for the 2012/13 academic year student intake to align with the introduction of the Graduate Tax in England.

Our ability to grow income streams will be challenging, particularly in the areas of overseas taught postgraduate fees and research overhead recovery. However, our focus on excellence and investment in building `critical mass’ within the key themes identified in the Strategic Review will give the University the best opportunity to compete for funding and attract students to our high quality teaching and research programmes.

The Strategic Review initially anticipated £10 million of savings being achieved over the next three years, through a reduction in staffing of 193 Full-Time-Equivalent posts. The Government spending cuts mean that these savings now have to be delivered, as far as possible, in the year 2011-12. Current indications are that we may achieve £6-7M of these savings and so we are encouraging those still considering making an application for VS to come forward before the 28th February closing date.

No, what has happened in England indicates that future income from a Graduate Contribution is likely to be matched by a further reduction in Government/public funding.

In the past we have seen people holding off making a VS application until close to the expiry date of the scheme so we would not be surprised if this happens again on this occasion.  It is hoped the VS scheme will make a major contribution to the savings required but this will not preclude the need for all Schools and Directorates to look for additional savings and efficiencies and it is the combination of these that we hope will enable us to meet the savings needed.

A paper was submitted to University Court on the 21st February 2011 that broke down the anticipated savings against the savings targets. This information will be updated at the beginning of March and made available to Deans and Directors.

Obviously the uncertainty over funding and income streams in future years means that there can be no guarantee over future job security. However, the next stage of Strategic Review will focus on the areas that have not achieved the necessary savings.

That cannot be assumed.  Only the governing body of the University, the University Court, can make that decision and no such decision has been made.  Initially, Court will be looking to see the extent of savings made as a result of VS and other efficiency measures and if the savings have still not been met it will consider a range of options  Compulsory redundancy cannot be ruled out, but neither should it be assumed that it is the option Court will automatically select. The University is close to agreement on an Avoidance of Redundancy Policy.

It is not known at this stage the extent to which the savings will be met or what action Court will decide upon if they are not met.  The decision as to whether to apply for VS or not must therefore primarily be a personal one depending on your own wishes, preferences and circumstances. Information on the strategic plans for the future of a School or Directorate should be sought from the relevant Dean or Director.

So far most applications have been within a 12 month horizon, but this does not exclude the possibility of applications being made beyond that timeframe although 3 years is likely to be further out than the University is seeking.  If anyone wishes to apply using a projected date either for full, partial or phased VS they should provide a range of dates they are prepared to consider or say they are prepared to discuss a mutually suitable date.  All VS applications, irrespective of the applicants preferred date, will be carefully considered.

You would need to discuss your own (planned) particular circumstances with the Pensions Officer, Marion Imrie, who is the only person who should be giving staff guidance on how their pension scheme arrangements will affect them.  Marion is very happy to meet with individuals on a confidential basis to allow them to explore the questions they have.

When the VS scheme was set up the decision was made to offer it for a defined period up to the end of February 2011.  This is the reason we are promoting the VS scheme now to ensure that no-one misses their opportunity to apply for the very favourable terms on offer.  So, at this stage, it is not intended to extend the VS scheme, although ultimately this will be for Court to decide.

The decision to reopen the VS Scheme is a matter for the University Court to consider. However, the University currently has no intention to reopen the VS Scheme to everyone. The more likely action will be to have a more a targeted VS Scheme for a very limited period, which will focus on specific areas of the University where the Strategic Review savings targets have not been achieved.

When the University has to deal with redundancy situations, for example, the expiry of fixed-term contracts, it is Statutory Redundancy Pay that is paid and it is unlikely that we would depart from this approach in the future.

These figures represent head count and include a number of partial reductions in FTEs. The University is still seeking a significant number of applications to meet the savings target.

The SASS savings target includes approximately £1.5M of non-pay savings and a very robust 2011/12 budget build process from a zero base. The trend in applications so far indicates a broad range of applications across all the staff grades.

The Strategic Review paper discussed at University Court on 13thDecember 2010 and at Senate on the 9th February 2011 provides information on the need to review the academic footprint and vision for the future. This will be developed over the coming months and will take into consideration the future funding environment and other influencing factors. The University will need to reshape itself to enable it to remain competitive and continue to achieve excellence in research and teaching.

The four themes have been identified as areas for focus and development; they are also multi-disciplinary in scope, intended to bring together a wide range of research areas from across the institution. Individual areas are encouraged to develop their own ideas about how their work might be aligned to the emerging themes; this is an opportunity to build new and exciting relationships across disciplinary boundaries. This notwithstanding, the University remains committed to supporting all 3 and 4 star research, alongside rising 2 star activity in key areas.

Staff are encouraged to actively take part in the future consultation and discussion on the future vision for the University and its development. School Boards. College Boards, Academic Council, Senate and University Court are formal routes to input to the discussion. Staff can also express their views through their line management, Deans, Directors, College Secretaries or College Heads.

Staff may pass on or discuss suggestions for savings opportunities with their line manager, College Secretary, Dean or Head of College. Alternatively they can email their suggestion to SavingsSuggestions@dundee.ac.uk