The Mayor of Dunedin has issued a response after learning that the city’s university plans to lay off ‘several hundred’ academic and general staff

In an email to students, Acting vice-chancellor Prof Helen Nicholson said due to a number of factors, including falling student numbers and Government funding not keeping up with rising costs, it was making “hard decisions” to ensure the institution was sustainable into the future.

“This includes the possible redundancies of several hundred academic and professional staff positions.

Applications for voluntary redundancies would open next work and more job cuts were likely later in the year.

It’s understood the University needs to reduce its annual operating budget by $60 million.

Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich said “the city will do what it can to support those affected by today’s announcement from the University of Otago.”

“The University is at the heart of our city, and the town-gown link is one of the things that makes Dunedin unique.”

“However, there comes a time when difficult decisions have to be made and I truly feel for those decision-makers and everyone affected” Radich said.

“The University is best placed to decide how to do that, but It is important that the University positions itself for success, now and into the future.”

 “The city will do whatever we can to support everyone concerned as they work through the process” Radich said.