Broadcast: News items

Director of Finance, Allan Spencer

In March 2020, the University shared a set of financial guidelines with senior budget holders to clarify the introduction of immediate spending measures, to help the University navigate through the ongoing challenges faced by Covid-19.

Additional clarification was then issued in early April 2020, to explain certain categories in more detail, particularly in relation to staff on Fixed Term Contracts (FTC). 

These measures enabled the University to find important savings in the year when faced with a variety of new and unforeseen costs related to the pandemic. These included the significant cost of waiving rents on campus and investments made in switching to online learning and remote working.

As the pandemic continues, pressures on the University’s finances remain, particularly with fewer students than the previous year and now the return of a policy to waive rents for students who are not able to move back to campus due to the lockdown.

As such, the University has briefed all senior budget holders, that the guidelines are still in operation and will continue until further notice. However, there have been some changes, which will allow for an element of more flexibility in some areas. These are primarily:

• Whilst recruitment is still largely frozen, the post-panel is now operating and will consider applications for essential roles
• The approved long-term maintenance plan for campus will begin (as approved by Council)
• Heads of School and Divisional Directors can authorise furniture, fixtures or fittings to assist in home working – and/or to ensure workspaces are Covid secure
• Guidance for the recruitment of PGR students has been expanded with more categories of student recruitment resumed

You can read the full set of financial guidelines [172.10KB] here and a summary of the changes [89.26KB]. 

Allan Spencer, Director of Finance said: “I would like to thank colleagues for all their support over the past year in helping the University to be as financially sustainable as possible. We know that this is difficult, especially when it has meant we are not in a position to renew a staff contract when it has come to an end. Please rest assured we will not end a FTC contract early, and if the work is essential, we will hopefully be able to renew it. 

“While Heads of School and Directors of Professional Services have to remain within the agreed budgets set, we have made some changes which increase their discretion on spending in some areas which we hope will be welcome.

“We do have many more challenges to face this year and unfortunately for several years to come as a result of the pandemic, however with these measures in place we have already proved that we can provide some stability for the institution – and ease some of the pressures we face.”