The University of Sheffield says it has stabilised its finances after warning of a £50m shortfall last year. All departments were told to make savings after student numbers fell because of a reduction in the number of international students. The university said it could not give detailed financial figures until the end of the year but added that it was on a more secure financial footing.
The £50m shortfall was a figure given to staff in an internal briefing to outline the potential loss of income if no direct action was taken. The university said it did not reflect an official financial forecast and a surplus in its 2023-24 annual report had allowed it to take “considered and measured actions to manage its financial position”.
The university has agreed with trade unions there will be no compulsory redundancies during this calendar year. Just over 300 staff, both academic and non-academic, left via a previous voluntary severance scheme, with the scheme reopening in September.
Capital expenditure for new building projects had also been reviewed, with construction of an £86m Central Teaching Lab, due to open on Upper Hanover Street in 2027, put on hold. The university has also suspended new student intake for 28 of its courses, including postgraduate degrees in sociology, language and linguistics and orthodontics.
Teaching will continue for existing students on these courses, but no new students will be enrolled in the 2025/26 academic year. The suspended courses include:
* Advanced Cell & Gene Therapies (MSc)
* Architecture and Landscape (MArch)
* Architecture and Landscape Architecture (MA)
* Bioarchaeology (MSc)
* Chemistry and Sustainability (MSc)
* Cultural Data Management and Communication (MA)
* Diagnostic Oral Pathology (MMedSci)
* Foundation Programme in Combined Studies [Society and Culture with Foundation Year] (CertHE)
* Health Economics and Decision Modelling (MSc)
* Human Osteology and Funerary Archaeology (MSc)
* Intercultural Communication (MA, PGDip, PGCert)
* International Relations and East Asia (MA)
* Landscape Architecture (BSc)
* Landscape Management (MA)
* Language and Communication Impairment in Children (MSc, PGDip, PGCert)
* Language and Linguistics (MA)
* Law with Chinese Law (LLB)
* Law with Spanish Law (LLB)
* Molecular Medicine (MSc, PGDip, PGCert)
* Orthodontics (DClinDent, MClinDent)
* Polymer Chemistry (MSc)
* Social Work (MA)
* Sociology (MA)
* Speech Difficulties (MSc, PGDip, PGCert)
* Structural Engineering (MSc)
* Structural Engineering and Architecture (MEng)
* Sustainable Architecture Studies (MSc)
* Urban Design (MA)
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