University staff are cut
In a plan to reduce cuts at the University of Sussex, a voluntary redundancy scheme has been established. This scheme was announced on December 3 2024 and could see a possible 300 university staff members leave.
The university states that these cuts are “necessary to reduce our costs further in the interests of the long-term financial sustainability of the University”.
According to the University, this has been a result of the state of inflation and a drop in funding. They claim that over the past year, they have taken many other steps to reduce costs.
Student housing crisis in Oxford
Students at Oxford Brookes University have been queuing for 24 hours to secure a second-year house. This comes after a letting agent releases student houses on a ‘first-come, first-served basis’ leaving students no choice but to camp outside waiting to secure accommodation.
The lack of good-quality student houses creates high demand for housing in Oxford.
A spokesperson for Oxford Brookes University states that the university offers its own accommodation and “Students can contact the University’s dedicated accommodation team throughout the academic year for advice and guidance on housing”.
Bus delays lead to online classes
More than 50% of students at the University of Warwick have claimed to be missing lectures due to delayed buses.
Buses between the Warwick campus and Leamington Spa (where the majority of students live) have frequently been delayed and cancelled, impacting student attendance.
As a result, a student claims that their in-person lectures have now been moved online due to this disruption.
Additionally, stagecoach bus fares will see a rise from £2 to £3 in 2025. Students feel dissatisfied with the service of Stagecoach buses.
A spokesperson from Stagecoach has responded stating: “There are occasionally journeys that are either delayed or need to be cancelled at short notice, for which we apologise”.
Stagecoach has announced an increase in buses from next year where 64 new electric buses will be introduced in Coventry and it is hoped that Warwick students will benefit from this £140 million bus scheme.
