The university’s quest to find $16m in savings this year comes not long after the mass staff cuts of 2022-23, when the university first discovered the massive "hole" of about $60m in the budget that required major staff cuts to stay afloat. Vice-chancellor Grant Robertson had made staff aware of possible upcoming changes, Mr Trott said. Tertiary Education Union president Prof Craig Marshall, of the University of Otago, said there appeared to be less of a focus on staff cuts from the university, and more on finding other ways to save. As at the end of 2024, the university had 1593 academic staff and 2420 professional staff. Prof Marshall said he would like to see a "coherent future plan" for the tertiary education sector.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 25, 2026 15:38 UTC