MSPs told further job losses could be required at Dundee University.

According to the chairman of the Scottish Funding Council’s Dundee recovery team, the institution will ‘need to restructure’.

MSPs have been told that further job cuts may be required at crisis-hit Dundee University, with a senior member from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) stating that the institution may need to “restructure”.

Richard Maconachie, the director head of SFC’s Dundee recovery team, said that while the university’s administrators were looking for ways to acquire more funds, he feared it would “need to restructure” in the future. And he told MSPs on Holyrood’s Education Committee: “I haven’t said there won’t be more job losses.”

Mr Maconachie, on the other hand, emphasised the necessity of ensuring that any job losses are “in the right place”. He further explained: “That is why you need a strategy and a vision to ensure any losses are properly rationalised and justified.”

His comments followed allegations this summer that the university’s recovery plan envisaged significant job reductions. Dundee had revealed plans to slash 300 jobs as it attempted to address a £35 million deficit, prompting union protests.

However, reports now suggest that the university’s recovery plan offered 220 voluntary redundancies in addition to 170 compulsory redundancies.

Mr Maconachie emphasised, however, that the SFC had not approved this report, saying, “We have said it needs further work.”

However, he dismissed accusations from committee convener Douglas Ross MSP that the report had been rejected by the funding organisation.

“I wouldn’t say we have rejected it,” Mr Maconachie replied. Mr Ross insisted: “You are not accepting it, it has not been approved, and it has been denied. “Just be honest.” Mr Maconachie told him, “I’m being honest with you.

I don’t think we’ve tossed it on the heap.” He went on to inform the committee that Dundee University was “looking at income generation opportunities” and that the “strongest” possibility here may be new courses being offered.

Mr Maconachie remarked that Dundee University’s recovery strategy was “not particularly vocal” in terms of income generating. He did say, however:

“The main areas of income generation we think are the development of new courses that are in demand for students, and international students in particular.” However, he went on to explain that while “income generation is part of the solution,” he also believes that “further restructuring is required.”

He stated that the SFC was “trying to draw up a route map for the next 12 months and get the university to agree to that”. When that happens, he promised to “work at a rapid pace” to put this into action.

However, almost a year after the university’s issues emerged, Green MSP Maggie Chapman, who is also the rector of Dundee University, stated that it was “11 months down the line with still no plans, no clear vision of the way forward”. Mr Maconachie stated that “I think the whole of SFC, and I personally, are frustrated” with the issue.

However, he stated that the university is “an autonomous institution, which we must respect.” He also stated that there have been “changes in leadership” at the university, which have “added to the delay and lack of direction sometimes”.

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