University of Warwick vice-chancellor receives £4,000 pay rise despite mass job cuts

Warwick University’s vice-chancellor received a £4,000 pay rise last year despite over a hundred university jobs getting cut.

Despite the increase to Professor Stuart Croft’s overall pay, the university made payments to 184 members of staff who left their jobs in the 2024-2025 academic year.

In November 2025, the University of Warwick announced the introduction of a voluntary severance scheme, which allows  employees to voluntarily resign in exchange for a compensation payment. It is a method often introduced by employers to avoid compulsory redundancies and manage cost reductions.

In a letter to staff, Croft justified the scheme by saying the university’s financial position “will worsen” over the next five years if savings are not made to manage rising costs.

via Wikimedia Commons

A drop in international students and an increase in running costs across the country has left many universities financially strained, with many Russell Group universities making job cuts across the year. Despite this, many vice-chancellors received large pay raises.

Professor Stuart Croft’s pay rise brought his total annual earnings up to £389,000.

A Warwick University spokesperson said: “The Voluntary Leavers Scheme is part of a thoughtful and measured approach to support the university’s long-term financial future.

“While the university is not in financial difficulty, we do face increased operational costs due to external factors outside of our control. They include paying our first full year of additional National Insurance contributions.

“Strong financial health ensures that we can remain competitive amid challenging global conditions and that we can continue to provide an outstanding teaching and research environment for our students, staff, and partners.”

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Professor Stuart Croft has been contacted for comment.

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Featured image via Facebook and Wikimedia Commons