MORE JOBS TO GO AT UNIVERSITY

Workers at the Cromore Road campus have already been advised that the Modern Languages Department will close, and that staff cuts will be made at the School of History, and at the Media, Film and Journalism department at the local campus.

The cutbacks follow an £8.6 million reduction in the subsidy received from the Department for Employment and Learning in June this year, and will see a reduction of 1,250 in student numbers across the four campuses.

Although the University was unable to confirm the exact number of staff, both teaching and non-teaching affected in Coleraine, they did confirm in a statement to The Coleraine Times this week that the reduction would take place over the next year.

The statement said that a voluntary redundancy scheme would be made available to the ‘impacted subject areas, including technical and clerical staff in the those affect areas.’

The University confirmed that the Psychology course that is currently delivered at Magee will relocate to ‘be consolidated’ at the Coleraine.

The University said: “Business Management taught at Coleraine is one of six subject areas across the University to be rationalised with effect from September 2016/17 entry. The consolidation of the Department of Business and Enterprise currently based at the Coleraine campus and the Department of International Business at the Magee campus will create one new department based at Ulster University’s Magee campus.

“Each campus has felt the impact of these cuts and no campus is disproportionately affected, so, for example, although Business Management will move to Magee, Psychology currently delivered in Magee will relocate to be consolidated on the Coleraine campus.”

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough councillors are to meet with University chiefs this month to raise their concerns about the changes at the Coleraine campus.

Speaking to The Times, DUP councillor Trevor Clarke said that the cuts would not only impact on staff, but the wider Borough.

“Any reduction in student numbers will diminish the vibrancy of the student population in the area. This will have an immediate detrimental impact, for example on the night-time economy and on demand for student accommodation, as well as the skill-set of the local graduate workforce.”