The University are aiming to save £20 million, and say they're working through their options.
Our reporters went to the picket lines to find out more.
Our reporters went to the picket lines to find out more.
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NewsTranscript
00:00There's a festival atmosphere here on the picket line at the University of Kent,
00:09but for these lecturers there's little to celebrate.
00:12We've been in a state of flux at Kent for four or five years.
00:15Staff have left in their hundreds year upon year upon year
00:19and all we're asking for is a bit of stability.
00:23I asked some of those on strike what message they had for the university's senior leadership team.
00:28Stop the cuts, talk to us and we can come to a solution.
00:33We cannot afford to lose more staff, especially professional services staff.
00:39Do not cut our staff and make sure we can do the work we are here to do.
00:44Many fear these cuts threaten the future of higher education in Kent,
00:48a feeling shared by the incoming leader of the local trade union which has called these strikes.
00:53I think there's a really bright future for the University of Kent
00:55if management starts to listen to its staff and to its students.
00:58It's an excellent university, it's a key part of the local economy,
01:01it delivers a huge range of courses, it's got a really rich history.
01:04There's so much more this university can offer,
01:06but under the current management it is being run into the ground.
01:09Last year the University of Kent announced extensive cuts to its offering for students,
01:13with subjects phased out and staff laid off.
01:16A voluntary redundancy scheme was opened earlier this year,
01:19while 58 members of staff have been issued with risk of redundancy notices.
01:23According to the UCU, the university has refused to rule out compulsory job cuts beyond December,
01:28and that's why they're on strike.
01:30For staff, these cuts are existential.
01:33Six courses are being completely phased out, including the religious studies course in Canterbury,
01:38the home of the Church of England.
01:40Although students already enrolled are being taught through to the end of their course,
01:44the impending closure looms large over their educational experience.
01:48Many staff have already left, and those who remain are concerned about the impact on their workload.
01:54Kent Centre for Journalism here at Medway Campus is one of those facing the axe.
01:58I spoke to the head of the centre about the impact this is already having.
02:02There's no sense hiding it, that students are very aware that they're on a course that's dying,
02:07they're very aware they're on a campus which has shrunk,
02:09and that makes motivation very difficult.
02:12It makes engagement very difficult.
02:14If you're a young person like I was when I grew up in Kent wanting to be a journalist,
02:18there is now nowhere in Kent that will train you how to do it.
02:21The sector's in crisis, and at the moment there doesn't seem to be a compelling answer how to fix it.
02:28With neither side appearing willing to compromise,
02:30this dispute is likely to rumble on long after the music has stopped.
02:34Harry Craig, KMTV, Canterbury.