STUDENTS AND staff at the Dundee University held a protest rally about proposed cuts yesterday as management and unions agreed to work together to try to avoid compulsory job losses, writes Grant Smith, education reporter.

A large crowd gathered outside Bonar Hall to show their opposition to the cuts, brandishing placards bearing the slogan “an attack on one is an attack on all.”

The university is heading for a £1.6 million deficit this year and is facing higher than expected bills for pay, pensions and utility bills. Town planning, languages and community education have been identified as areas where reductions can be made, along with services such as the botanic garden.

A sustainability review group will recommend to the university court—the governing body—at its meeting on February 19 that the university seeks to achieve a budget surplus of 3% by 2010/11.

Sir Alan Langlands, principal and vice-chancellor, met union representatives to discuss the group’s work and afterward they issued a joint statement.

This read, “The unions and the university senior management agreed to work together constructively and openly to strive to achieve the target in ways that protect the interests of students and avoid compulsory redundancies.”

The two sides agreed that the review group’s report and all relevant background papers will be made available to the unions as soon as possible. Further meetings will be held over the coming weeks.

Staff have previously expressed fears that around 100 jobs could be on the line, although the university has denied that the number will be that high.

Sir Alan told the unions that he will be seeking permission from the court to set up a voluntary severance scheme for staff.

The joint statement added, “The university and unions anticipate that there will be scope for further discussion on the proposals following the court meeting.”

Earlier, students worried about potential cuts to modern languages met university secretary Dr David Duncan and Professor Christopher Whatley, vice-principal and head of the college of arts and social sciences.

They had sought clarification of the university’s plans following a meeting with Sir Alan which had left them disappointed by the lack of detail available.

Spokeswoman Eleanor Heather said, “We felt this meeting was much more productive because they went over the whole financial situation in much more detail.

“They reiterated that there will be cuts—there is no doubt about that—but they are looking for viable options.”

She was also among the organisers of the protest rally, which was attended by about 150 people and aimed at demonstrating the feelings of students and staff as visibly as possible.

It was held to coincide with a meeting of the university’s supreme academic body, the senate, which was also due to discuss the cutback proposals. The senate comprises all the senior academic staff, along with representatives of the professors and lecturers and the student association.

Dundee University and College Union, which represents academic staff, issued a call for “real education, not real estate” over its belief that the costs of the rapid expansion and upgrading of the campus are responsible for the budget problems. The crowd was made up mostly of students, but staff from some of the threatened departments were also present.