UCC staff asked to work a week without pay
Dr Michael Murphy, president of University College Cork (UCC), said the 18-member University Management Team has already agreed to lead by example and take the hit.
However, he said, because of the cutbacks, the termination of temporary contracts is inevitable and services to students will be affected.
Other proposals include:
* Reducing overtime costs by substitution of time off in lieu.
* Introducing fees for repeat exams.
* Examining the possibility of disposing of some property.
* Deferring increments at the discretion of staff.
* Reimbursing vouched expenses only.
* Renegotiating rents when its new IT building opens on Western Road.
* Reducing the subvention to the Glucksman Gallery and to Cork University Press.
* Increasing car parking charges on the university’s main campus.
* Non-replacement of staff on maternity leave, sick leave or sabbatical.
He said the reductions in staff numbers will result in a deterioration in the quality of teaching and the learning environment, the range and breadth of course options will be reduced and library opening hours may be curtailed. And all this will occur as student numbers rise, as they do in recessionary times, he said.
Dr Murphy was speaking after an open briefing to staff and students, during which he laid bare the stark fiscal challenge facing the university.
When college management drew up the college budget last summer, and working with little detail on central government funding, they set a savings target of €11.5 million to close the gap between projected income and expenditure.
The cost-cutting focused on administration and delivered about €9m in savings by February.
UCC’s annual budget this year is about €300m. It has 19,000 registered students and 2,800 staff, of whom 400 are temporary.
