The Exeter branch of an education union fighting possible staff cuts at the city’s university has said its “biggest ever” meeting voted in favour of a no confidence vote against the vice chancellor.
At what was described as a packed meeting last week, the Exeter branch of the University and College Union voted “overwhelmingly in favour” of the vote against Professor Lisa Roberts, who oversees the institution.
The University of Exeter said the current proposals were for a reduction equivalent to around 150 full-time roles, which it hoped could be achieved through voluntary redundancies, and that no departments or disciplines would be closed.
The UCU said a petition against the cuts had already gained over 10,000 signatures. It added it feared courses such as history, English, modern languages and politics could “suffer irreparable damage” if the cuts took place, with possible reductions at its Falmouth campus also putting languages and environmental sciences at “serious risk”, the union claimed.
Exeter UCU co-chair Michael J Flexer said: “In the biggest meeting in our branch’s history, our members have overwhelmingly voted no confidence in the vice-chancellor and will be meeting again imminently to begin preparations for a strike ballot if management refuses to change course.
“Exeter University’s stellar humanities scholars are world renowned and have helped secure the institution’s status as one of the very best in the UK.
“Making any one of them redundant would be an extraordinary act of self-sabotage by management. Axing over 200 jobs is no less than academic vandalism and would devastate student learning for years to come.”
A spokesperson for the university said: “We fully understand that this is a worrying time for those who are affected by the ongoing consultation process – however it is important to stress and reiterate that these are proposals at this stage.
“The University is not proposing to close any departments or disciplines, and under these proposals Exeter would continue to have one of the largest faculties of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences in the UK.
“We hope to achieve these changes through voluntary measures and are committed to working closely with our community and the trade unions to avoid compulsory redundancies wherever possible.
“All colleagues affected by the proposed changes will receive all the information they need throughout the process, along with every opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns, and participate fully. The University will ensure that this process is fair and consistent throughout.”
Councillor Julian Brazil (Liberal Democrat, Kingsbridge), the leader of Devon County Council, said he had not been directly involved with the issue, but felt it highlighted the need for government to invest in education.
“If we want growth in this country, we have to invest in our young people and invest in universities so they don’t find themselves in this position,” he said.
“If we invest in universities, then we will reap the benefits in the medium- to long-term.”
Cllr Brazil said the council worked in partnership with the university on various initiatives and he “wanted to expand those”.
The city’s MP, Steve Race (Labour) said the university was a “major economic driver” and that the research partnership with its local hospital, the Met Office and others “bring real benefits to everyone in our city”.
“I want to make sure it continues to play that important role,” he said.
“This will be a difficult time for the employees affected and I will do what I can to support them. I visit the university regularly and have very recently met with trade union representatives to hear their concerns about the university sector as a whole.
“I plan to meet again with employees, unions, and the university leadership to understand the proposals, the reasons behind them, and any possible alternative ways forward.”
The university’s financial accounts show it has total reserves of £621 million, however, more than £53 million of this is linked to its endowment and is therefore ‘restricted’.
The union pointed to this as a reason to claim the proposed cuts were unnecessary, as well as stating that the number of staff earning over £100,000 per year had also risen. In 2024, there were 273 staff paid above a £100,000 pro-rata salary, although this equated to 229.1 full-time equivalents.
But in 2025, this had risen to 404 people and 254.6 full-time equivalents.
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