Cardiff University has announced plans to reduce its academic staff by 400 to secure its long-term future and address a £30 million black hole in its budget.

The university is launching a formal 90-day consultation on the proposed changes, which also include the possibility of school and subject closures and school mergers.

Vice-chancellor Professor Wendy Larner said: “The precarious financial position of many universities, particularly in the context of declining international student applications and increasing cost pressures, and the need to adapt to survive are well documented.

“We know here at Cardiff University that it is no longer an option for us to continue as we are. Our new strategy, co-created with our community, lays out an ambitious future for our university where it is collaborative, innovative, and delivering value for Cardiff, Wales and the wider world.

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“Securing that future, in the context of tightening finances, means we need to take difficult decisions to realise our ambitions to enhance our education and research, and improve the staff and student experience.”

The university said the reduction of academic headcount by around 400 FTE positions (7% of the total workforce) would only use compulsory redundancy if “absolutely necessary”.

Subjects and programmes in ancient history, modern languages, music, nursing, religion and theology have been earmarked as at risk.

Cardiff University, which was established in 1884, proposes to “increase student and staff ratios” while revising its approaches to learning, teaching and assessment, and simplifying bureaucratic processes. Several schools within the university, the largest in Wales with nearly 33,000 students, face merging with complementary disciplines.

Prof Larner added: “We have worked diligently to create initial proposals for a slightly smaller university, refocused around our core and emerging strengths – a university ready to leverage new academic opportunities, prepare students for an adapting world and meet changing market demands as they arise.”

She stressed that these are proposals and our final plans will be shaped by our community – both internal and external – through formal consultation.

“The scale of the challenge will remain, but the way that we address it will certainly be refined and developed over the next 90 days,” she said.

Dr Joey Whitfield from the University and College Union in Cardiff said staff were “absolutely shell shocked” by the “cruel and unnecessary” cuts.

“I’ve had colleagues in tears. They’ll damage our members, our students, the city, and Wales as a whole,” she added, saying union members are “prepared to fight any compulsory redundancies tooth and nail”.

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