More than 800 staff have left the university, founded in 1583, since principal Professor Peter Mathieson announced there could be job cuts in November 2024.
Officials with the University and College Union (UCU) fear that as many as 1,400 jobs could be lost in a bid to cut £90m in staff salaries.
Edinburgh University staff are in the midst of a marking boycott. (Image: Gordon Terris)
The row over job cuts has deepened tensions on campus, and UCU members are currently involved in a marking and assessment boycott, refusing to mark papers or invigilate exams.
Senators say they are legally entitled to heavily scrutinise plans to restructure the university’s three colleges and 25 schools.
The academic body contends that some aspects of the programme fall under their remit, which is limited to academic and research issues. As a result, they have argued that Senate must be involved in a detailed “oversight and approval process”.
However, university managers have said that the restructuring work is solely administrative and financial in nature, and as such, Senate “has no responsibility or remit to approve the work”.
“The University’s Academic Size and Shape work is not a matter of regulating or superintending the teaching or discipline of the University, nor of promoting research,” correspondence sent to senators and viewed by The Herald states.
“It is rather a strategic assessment of required capacity and prioritisation to deliver the institution’s mission and strategic goals sustainably, now and in the future.”
A summary of the proposals was presented to a Senate meeting in March, sparking a “lively discussion”.
However, academics have “expressed disapproval” in university management’s failure to provide up-to-date information relating to the programme.
At a meeting in December 2025, Senate voted to request “all past agendas, papers, and minutes… from appropriate responsible parties”.
Yet, as of the meeting in late April, that information had not been provided and no explanation had been provided for the delay.
Sir Peter Mathieson (Image: Supplied)
A paper submitted before the special meeting sums up the position of many Senators.
It reads: “The Executive have contended that the work of the Academic Size and Shape project falls outside Senate’s remit.
“However, a lack of transparency – both in terms of the outstanding request for information from Senate’s 10 December 2025 meeting, and the absence of a governance plan from Court/Executive – prevents Senate from independently verifying this claim. Without the requested information, Senate cannot fulfil its statutory responsibility.”
Senators claim that a number of topics featured in the programme summary fall under their remit; including items on curriculum, course structure, and promotion of research.
They are particularly concerned about how potential changes to teaching workloads and structures could limit research capacity.
“Members perceive a risk that teaching will be permitted to define our research activity,” the paper states, “to the extent that we risk Edinburgh ceasing to be a research-intensive University, with consequent negative impacts on our research income, national and international reputation, and recruitment of staff and students.”
As a motion put forward at the April 28 meeting states: “Senate determines that aspects of the Academic Size and Shape project will have an impact on the academic work of the University, and therefore the oversight and approval process for these aspects falls within Senate’s remit.
“Characterising these developments as purely administrative or financial, and acting as such, would constitute a departure from the University’s established legal governance framework.”
A University of Edinburgh spokesperson said the institution has “clear decision-making processes supported by well-established governance structures”.
They added: “The Academic Size and Shape project is a significant undertaking with the aim of supporting high-quality teaching, research and wider academic activity in a way that is effective and financially sustainable.
“We recognise this work is of considerable interest to staff across the University, and we have been updating colleagues and listening to feedback.
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“Ultimately, decisions related to this project will be taken through the University’s normal governance arrangements by executive leadership, acting through the Principal on behalf of University Court.
“We remain fully committed to engaging constructively with Senate throughout the process.”
The governance row has only intensified as UCU members continue to enagage in the marking and assessment boycott, sparking fears that some students may not be able to graduate on time.
“The fact that management has let this dispute roll on for 13 months is shameful,” UCU General Secretary Jo Grady said.
“Peter Mathieson could end this dispute tomorrow if he wanted but instead he’s prepared to let students suffer rather than rule out compulsory redundancies and address the union’s other key demands.”
In response, the university has confirmed that 100% of pay will be withheld from staff engaged in the MAB.