MORE than 5,000 higher education job cuts have been announced this academic year as the sector faces an “unprecedented crisis,” the University and College Union (UCU) has said.

Universities have announced more than £238 million of cuts and declared deficits of at least £30m, according to its analysis published today.

Another 4,739 more jobs could go if university bosses plug these holes solely through axing staff — more than 10,000 job losses overall, the union has warned.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “UK higher education is on its knees with thousands of jobs set to disappear from across the sector, this will be hugely damaging to students, and some courses are already disappearing.

“Unless the UK government steps in, as the Welsh and Scottish governments have, this may just be the tip of the iceberg.

“We need an emergency fund to protect jobs and courses in the short term. Then the government must begin looking at a new public model to fund and regulate the sector.”

UCU members at Dundee and Newcastle universities begin strikes today, with action looming at seven more campuses in response to threatened cuts.

The union is calling on the government to launch a root-and-branch review of poor university governance structures and “outrageously high” vice-chancellor salaries, which average £325,000.

Ms Grady said: “Our union is winning ballots and fighting to protect jobs and course provision for current students and future generations.

“For far too long vice-chancellors have helped fuel this crisis by fighting to hoover up domestic and international students, creating a cycle of boom and bust.

“When times were good, they failed to invest properly and now they are asking staff and students to pay for the price of their mismanagement.

“Bodies tasked with overseeing university governance have been hollowed out and are all too often asleep at the wheel, allowing vice-chancellors to act like reckless CEOs.

“Labour should launch a root-and-branch review of the sector’s governing structures while putting an end to university leaders being rewarded for failure with gigantic pay packets.”

Courses presently under threat include nursing at the University of Cardiff, chemistry at the University of Hull and business and languages at Northumbria University.

The Department for Education was contacted for comment.