By Eva Milne, Connor Bertie, James Elliot.
Heeding the call for transparency, the Interim University Executive Group (UEG) has published the full version of their Recovery Plan.
The University’s financial crisis is still ongoing nearly 11 months after it was announced in November of 2024. It began with a £30m deficit, then £35m, then jumped to £63m.
The future of the university was placed into doubt, as the UEG announced the university would run out of cash by June of this year.
The Scottish government intervened, and £62m was allocated to the save the university.
But still this hasn’t been enough, and the road forward remains long.
The 105-page Recovery Plan, which has been made available to all staff and students, details many points which had been previously proposed by the former UEG, headed by ex-Principal Shane O’Neill, along with new alterations.
Despite this, the new iteration was rejected by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) as the changes were deemed too radical for a temporary leadership team to make.
All leadership roles at this moment as branded as “interim” meaning short-term, and so will all eventually be replaced by permanent staff.
The three campus unions have also backed the SFC’s rejection.
Why did the SFC reject the plan?
In the SFC’s letter of response to the recovery plan, which has now been made public, Chief Executive, Francesca Osowska said:
“The SFC requires, as a condition of future funding, the production of a short-term plan for a period of 12 months that will set out steps to:
- Identify an accelerated plan to create stable long-term permanent leadership for the university.
- Identify, quantify and deliver immediate no regrets efficiencies.
- Develop and execute a plan to deliver a University Strategy which can demonstrate appropriate and concrete engagement with staff and students to properly understand and consider their input into the University’s vision.
Key Elements of the Plan
Governance & Leadership Reform
Under the Governance section (p.6) the report acknowledged the areas of weakness highlighted in the Gillies report (published 19 June) and noted that these deficiencies will be addressed.
It said:
“We are determined to establish an open culture of constructive dialogue that delivers improved transparency and better decision, with members of the University Court and of the University Executive Group (UEG) aware of their duties and understand their collective responsibilities in running of the University”.
Reorganisation
The current structure of the University is based around eight academic schools, led by Deans, and twelve professional services led by Directors.
The rejected plan proposed the merging of the eight schools into 4 faculties:
- Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (School of Art and Design), Education and Society, Energy, Environment and Society, Humanities, Law)
- Faculty of Health (Dentistry, Health Sciences, Medicine, Psychology)
- Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Business. (Business, Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Forensic Science, and the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification)
- Faculty of Life Science (Life Sciences)
The Life Sciences Faculty is the only one that is coterminous with an existing school. The recovery plan said that this decision was due its excellence and areas of specialism.
“It was thus decided that it should constitute a faculty in its own right, focussing on its research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying health and disease in humans, animals, plants, parasites and bacteria, and on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the life sciences”.
The rejected plan also poses further challenges to students and staff. These include:
- Under-enrolled modules and 29 programmes proposed to be cut.
- Recruitment to be frozen unless posts are externally funded or approved by senior management
- Staff exits and restructuring are happening through 2025–27, with a new senior leadership team (Principal, CFO, COO) expected by 2026
- Student hubs and a new wellbeing centre are planned within each Faculty
- International pathways (like the International College Dundee) will keep supporting overseas student entry and progression
Next Steps in Leadership
Acting Chair of Court, Ian Mair is set to be replaced by a permanent member of staff, as per the SFC’s request for a more permanent team.
Interim Principal Seaton, who was previously employed in the same position at Abertay Uni, is set to stay on for an additional 12 months, pending court approval.
If these changes are enacted, along with additional permanent upper-management roles being appointed, then at least one of the SFC’s concerns will be addressed.