The University of Technology Sydney has announced one of the biggest shake-ups in its history, shutting down its teacher education and public health schools, axing more than 1,100 subjects and cutting hundreds of jobs.
The plan, unveiled on Sept. 17, is designed to save $100 million a year and comes after months of speculation about the university’s financial position.
UTS has already announced about 400 job losses, with a further 134 full-time equivalent academic positions now at risk, alongside reductions in casual staff.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Parfitt said the cuts were unavoidable, citing federal funding changes, caps on revenue growth, and the lingering impact of the pandemic.
“UTS is focused on achieving a sustainable future where students can continue to get the quality of education they expect, and we can continue to deliver research outcomes for the communities that benefit from our work,” he said.
Schools Merged and Programs Closed
The restructure will cut the number of schools from 24 to 15.
It proposes shutting the School of Professional Practice and Leadership, merging the law and business faculties into one, and folding the School of Public Health into a renamed “School of Health and Human Performance.”
The teacher education program will also be disestablished, while the International Studies and Education School will be “rested.”
A total of 167 courses are proposed for discontinuation, many of which had already stopped taking new enrolments.
UTS said courses and subjects were identified based on demand, enrolment trends, strategic alignment, and financial viability. Despite the cuts, the university says it will still offer more than 400 courses and 2,300 subjects.
