Dundee University is cutting teaching roles for postgraduate humanities and social sciences students as a cash crisis engulfs the institution.
Bosses sent an email admitting there is no cash available for new hourly-paid tutoring contracts for the rest of the academic year.
The university will prioritise “core costs” to ensure students can complete their students.
University Dean Professor Jeff Blackford hopes new teaching jobs will become available next year “if finances permit”.
The struggling institution is also pulling back funds for “adds-on” such as conferences.
The email to staff reads: “We are prioritising spending what we have available on areas of prior commitment, such as pay and some match-funding commitments, and then on things that are ‘core’ to students completing their studies to a high standard.
“We are very aware that the funding decisions that have been taken will have an impact on many of you.
“For the remainder of this year, and probably into the next, we have also reduced the funds available for hourly-paid tutoring, and this will also impact on some of you.
“No new contracts will be issued in this academic year, but for 2025/26 new paid teaching opportunities will be made available if finances permit, in order to provide you with relevant academic experience.”
It’s understood the university often relies on postgraduates – including PhD students – to help teach undergraduates.
Insiders fear cuts could harm the university’s offering to students.
Last month, The Courier revealed Dundee University would need to make significant job cuts to plug a £30 million black hole.
Staff were warned the institution could even close in the next two years if spending is not drastically reduced.
The university’s woes are blamed in part on the drop in fee-paying international students.
Earlier this month we revealed under-fire university principal Iain Gillespie was quitting.
This week employees at the institution overwhelmingly backed a vote of no confidence in the university’s management team.
A Dundee University spokesperson said: “We are in the process of reprioritising resources in many areas.
“We have had to reduce the funds available for hourly-paid tutoring, which has been delivered by some of our postgraduate students, whilst ensuring that learning opportunities have remained for them.
“We have also reprioritised teaching duties among core academic staff, to ensure there is not an adverse impact on students receiving the tuition.
“The School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law is working on a plan to ensure some paid learning opportunities for postgraduate research students are maintained in future years.”
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