University of Bristol asks humanities and modern languages staff to voluntarily quit

a supposed war on languages and humanities continues as it emerges that the University of Bristol has launched a Voluntary Severance Scheme, asking certain staff to make themselves redundant in exchange for a payout. The Bristol branch of University and Colleges Union (UCU) reported Febraury 6th, all staff in the humanities and modern languages department were presented with the option to voluntarily resign in exchange for nine months’ pay. Staff have three weeks to express their interest in the package.

Oscar Berglund, Bristol UCU co-president and senior lecturer in international public and social policy, released a statement in response to this news, saying “since this time last year, we have warned that the university of Bristol’s approach to the crisis in Higher Education funding will have an uneven effect across the institution.”

Berglund suggests that these small, cumulative cuts are being made in order to avoid the headlines that large-scale redundencies would create, as well as to avoid larger strike action.

The scheme follows on from the 50 per cent policy, announced by vice-chancellor of the university, Evelyn Welch, last March. The policy essentially demands that all schools must make a 50 per cent operating surplus (profit made after paying employees and taxes, but before deducting interest, rent and other expenses), in order to avoid cuts to staff and funding.

This policy disproportinately effects non-STEM subjects, which have fewer international students and therefore receive less income from international fees. However it does not take into account the higher costs on building and equipment which STEM subjects pay.

Berlund explained:

“There are two main reasons for needing such a big surplus. One is that it is the schools that bring in most of the money, in the form of student fees and research grants. The surplus is therefore needed in order to pay for the central parts of the university that don’t bring in any money.

‘The other reason is that the University of Bristol has taken on significant loans to pay for its new campus at Temple Quarter, next to Temple Meads station. Typically, such loans have conditions attached including around requirements to run with a hefty operating surplus.”

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This unfortunately mean that the schools with a less than 50 per cent surplus will face a managed decline, before, as Bergland suggests, potentially being axed altogether a few years down the line.

The two schools being offered the severance package are the two schools with the highest proportion of home students.

Whilst certain schools are suffering due to loan conditions, senior staff salaries at the university are not: The Tab reported that vice-chancellor Welch was paid £398,000 in the 2024-25 academic year.

Over the summer, staff from the centre for academic language and development (CALD), which provides English language education to non-English students, went on strike following plans for redundancies. Following this the UCU asked that the university always use voluntary means before implementing compulsory ones. However, Professor Bergland stresses that “no voluntary severance package can be good enough for us to say that we won’t go on strike.”

A University of Bristol spokesperson said: “We value having a broad range of modern foreign languages at Bristol and are equally committed to supporting disciplines within the School of Humanities.  These are key contributors to our University’s comprehensive, disciplinary portfolio and our overall strategy and ambitions.

“As part of a prudent, measured approach to managing our finances, we routinely take planned and focussed actions where necessary due to changing student demand and reducing research income streams, while routinely seeking opportunities to deliver our services more effectively and efficiently. This includes identifying ways to reduce our non-pay spending.

“The School of Humanities and the School of Modern Languages have launched a voluntary severance process where eligible staff can apply for the opportunity to leave the organisation.  The aim is to ensure that we continue to deliver high-calibre education, conduct high-quality high-impact research and maintain the health of our academic disciplines in these Schools.

“The university is in constant dialogue with our Trade Unions about any proposal that may affect staff. We are committed to working with them to find ways of delivering any necessary staffing changes through voluntary means where possible, and to supporting our staff.”