Aberdeen compensates would-be lector as role axed at short notice

A Scottish university has been accused of severing important diplomatic links with Austria by cutting a jointly funded position at short notice as it sought to save money.

It is understood that the University of Aberdeen’s next Austrian lector had already been appointed to the position before the university decided it could no longer support the role, and it is now having to offer compensation in a move that staff said contradicted its cost-saving intentions.

For several decades, Aberdeen was one of nine UK universities to host the prestigious position – supported by Austria’s Exchange Service, the OeAD – with post holders responsible for delivering teaching on the German programme and arranging cultural activities for students.

In March, the university posted a £7 million deficit in its annual accounts, and it has been looking to reduce staff posts by not replacing academics who are leaving. Although it had initially agreed to hire a new lector when the role became available, staff said they had been told last month that it was being withdrawn.

In a letter protesting against the decision – seen by Times Higher Education – staff warn that cutting the post at such a late stage risked reputational damage with the OeAD, who were “unlikely to respond favourably to our not honouring the contract and meting out such extremely shabby treatment of their candidate”.

They warn that the remaining staff in the German department – equivalent to just 2.5 full-time roles – were unable to “absorb” the lost teaching hours.

One academic, who did not wish to be named, said they felt that cutting the post risked the loss of prestige and goodwill for what was a “very small amount of money saved”.

The lector was paid £26,500 by Aberdeen, with the salary topped up by the OeAD. It is understood that the cut was originally justified by management as being necessary because it was feared that Aberdeen would have to increase its top-up to the salary to meet post-Brexit visa requirements.

Staff say they have pointed out that the existing salary is above the £26,200 threshold required for the post holder to obtain a skilled worker visa under the rules, but their appeals to reinstate the position have so far been “ignored”.

Nicola McLelland, the president of the Association of German Studies, said while lector posts “are a real boon to German provision in UK universities”, as fixed-term roles, they are all too often “vulnerable to university cost-cutting exercises, and once lost, they are hard to reinstate”.

“Each loss is a tragedy in its way – we lose value for money, and we lose the cultural oomph that recent graduates from Germany and Austria bring to a department,” said Professor McLelland, professor of German and history of linguistics at the University of Nottingham.

“Unfortunately, the way UK higher education is structured means that individual institutions can make individually ‘rational’ decisions that have a cumulatively devastating effect.”

Emma Cayley, chair of the University Council of Modern Languages, said it was “deeply concerned” by Aberdeen’s decision to cut the position.

“Roles such as this are vital for the success of languages degrees because of the intensive skills training they provide for our students, and because of the insights and enthusiasm language assistants bring with them as ambassadors for their country,” added Professor Cayley, head of the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies at the University of Leeds.

An Aberdeen spokesperson said: “The university is grateful for the support it has received from the Austrian Exchange Service over many years. The low level of demand means that the university’s support for the post is unfortunately no longer sustainable. Given that our partner had identified someone for the role, it was appropriate to meet the costs incurred by that individual.”

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com