The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has paused new enrolments for 146 courses across six faculties as it moves ahead with a cost-reduction strategy that could see hundreds of jobs cut.
The move is part of an Operational Sustainability Implementation (OSI) program designed to save $100 million. The move is likely to put 400 jobs at risk.
In a statement released on Aug. 14, UTS confirmed that the move will not impact existing students enrolled in these courses.
“Suspension of new student intake does not mean a course will automatically be closed. Sometimes intakes are suspended ahead of phase out, some intakes are suspended while courses are redesigned to refresh curriculum and/or better meet student demand before being offered again,” the university said.
In an email to staff, Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Parfitt said the pause aimed at courses with low enrolment numbers.
“I want to be very clear that no decision has been made to discontinue any course,” Parfitt wrote, in comments reported by the ABC.
“The temporary suspension is aimed at prospective new students for 2026,” he added.
He said the step was necessary to prevent students from applying for courses that may not proceed if a final decision to cut them is made.
Despite the uncertainty, UTS said its enrolment suspensions are temporary and that no final decisions have been made about course closures.
Job Losses and Cuts Across the Sector
UTS is not alone in facing major restructuring. Several leading Australian universities have recently announced significant job cuts and course changes, citing financial strain and declining enrolments, particularly from international students.
The Australian National University (ANU), Charles Sturt University, Macquarie University, and the University of Tasmania are collectively set to shed more than 100 roles.
At ANU, a further 59 academic and professional roles are slated for removal in July as part of a plan to achieve $250 million in savings by 2026. This follows 41 redundancies announced in June.
Charles Sturt University, one of Australia’s largest regional institutions, announced it would cut jobs to address a $35 million budget shortfall after a steep drop in international student numbers. Vice-Chancellor Renée Leon said overseas enrolments had fallen from 8,460 in 2019 to just 10 percent of that in 2024, limiting the university’s ability to subsidise rural and remote domestic students.
Macquarie University has flagged the possible loss of 75 full-time equivalent academic roles—42 in the Faculty of Arts and 33 in Science and Engineering—under a $15 million cost-cutting plan.
Internal documents indicate curriculum changes are scheduled for 2026 and 2027, targeting low-demand humanities programs.
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has criticised the cuts and renewed calls for governance reforms in the higher education sector.
