The University of Aberdeen has refused to publish the details of its funding strategy amidst financial struggles.
A freedom of information (FOI) request, made by The Herald, to publish the details of proposed staff and programme cuts at the University of Aberdeen has been denied by the University. The University of Aberdeen has stated that this decision was made to avoid causing distress to the staff and students of the University, and to avoid prejudicing its financial strategy, which has already been approved by its governing body.
The University of Aberdeen is intending to reach a target of £10m in savings by following a programme that will see a restructuring of subject departments and degree programmes. These measures include: restructuring the University’s 12 schools into four faculties; to stop intake of postgraduates onto programmes that consistently take fewer than six students; a minimum of 10 students, undergraduate and postgraduate, on all degree programmes. 21 postgraduate programmes have already been paused as a result of these initiatives.
The financial programme is expected to result in the loss of over 100 jobs at the University of Aberdeen. The General Secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), Jo Grady, said: “These job cuts will be damaging to the student experience and the reputation of the university. UCU members at Aberdeen have already demonstrated their strong opposition to this slash-and-burn approach.”
The UCU’s Aberdeen branch has claimed that, for several months, staff at the University of Aberdeen have unsuccessfully attempted to gain details on the proposed cuts. The chair of the UCU’s Aberdeen branch, Dan Cutts, has argued that the University of Aberdeen should be more transparent in regards to its strategy so as to ease staff and student concerns.
The University of Aberdeen is not the only university in Scotland forced to make cuts amidst a dire financial situation. Many have been affected by declining student numbers, staff costs, building upkeep, and the cost of the Scottish Government’s free tuition policy. The University of Glasgow announced in June the launch of a voluntary redundancy scheme for its staff, in response to the costs brought on by a declining intake of international students. The University of Edinburgh, facing the same situation as Glasgow, initiated last year its plan to make £140m in cuts to end its financial difficulties – so far, it has saved over £73m and is expected to continue its cuts. The University of Dundee is also continuing staff cuts, despite having so far cut over 675 jobs and over £40m in emergency funding granted by the Scottish Government since its published report in 2025 on its financial situation.
The University of Aberdeen’s financial struggles have been known for some time. Its 2023 annual report expressed concern in regards to increasing costs and declining international intake, and despite having made amends then to stabilise its finances, it now finds itself entrenched in financial difficulty worse than before.
