Dr. Ivan Maksymov, a physicist at Charles Sturt University, is among an estimated 3,500 university staff members across Australia facing job losses in a struggling sector. This marks the second time in three years that Dr. Maksymov has been laid off, leaving him concerned about his family's financial stability. "It derails my career. I'm the only breadwinner, so it's the only source of income and we have two kids to feed," he said.

Dr. Maksymov's situation highlights the challenges faced by many researchers in Australia. Despite receiving a prestigious Future Fellowship from the Australian Research Council, he now describes the redundancy process as "humiliating" and indicative of the sector's troubling trends. "Unis have become like corporations. They have stakeholders and those stakeholders are not the public. They are not the people who go there to receive a quality education. They [management] think of the bottom line, they think in corporate terms," he stated.

The financial strain on universities has intensified, particularly due to a 90% drop in international student enrollment over the past five years. In response, Charles Sturt University announced staff reductions, acknowledging the distress caused by the layoffs. A university spokesperson said, "Charles Sturt University deeply regrets the need to reduce its staff numbers and the impact on those whose jobs are proposed to be disestablished, including Dr. Maksymov. But the necessity of these actions is undeniable."

Dr. Maksymov criticized the university for mishandling the redundancy process, claiming it caused unnecessary distress and limited opportunities for meaningful consultation. The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has echoed these concerns, alleging that 22 universities across five states and territories have collectively cut 3,578 jobs between 2024 and 2025.

Dr. Alison Barnes, the NTEU's national president, expressed concern about the morale of university staff. "I think people are feeling disheartened, demoralized. It's like a dark cloud hanging over our workplaces and people are not coping with the uncertainty and the stress," she said. Many staff members are still recovering from significant job losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current wave of redundancies follows a series of issues within the sector, including casualization, wage theft, and spending scandals that have prompted Senate inquiries into university governance. Dr. Barnes pointed out that the job cuts reflect poor management practices. "It's a crisis which has many different facets. Over $700 million being spent on consultants in one year, it's the job losses which impact on our capacity to educate and support our students," she said.

However, some university leaders reject the NTEU's claims, arguing that the financial challenges are genuine. Professor Carolyn Evans, Vice Chancellor of Griffith University, stated, "I think it's really quite extraordinary that the NTEU is not recognizing the genuinely difficult circumstances that universities find themselves in." She emphasized the need for universities to operate within their financial means, stating, "You cannot keep spending more money than you bring in."

The financial landscape for universities has worsened, with Professor Evans noting that prior to the pandemic, only three universities reported deficits. Now, she estimates that 70% of the sector is in the red. Factors contributing to this crisis include a decline in international student enrollment, poor domestic enrollment, and chronic underfunding of research.

At the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), staff are awaiting news about 400 proposed job cuts. The university has already suspended about 120 courses, which it claims will not affect current students. Mia Campbell, president of the UTS Students Association, expressed frustration among students, particularly those planning to pursue honors programs. "There's a lot of outrage from students there who are looking to study honors, literally commencing in the next semester, who are now being told that they can't do that anymore," she said.

UTS has been operating at a deficit for the past five years. A university spokesperson clarified that while 120 courses are listed as suspended, the actual number is closer to 50, as many relate to combined degrees. The courses affected include initial teacher education and public health, raising concerns about the future of academic offerings.

As universities navigate these financial challenges, the impact on staff and students continues to unfold, with many uncertain about their futures in the academic landscape.