University of Aberdeen staff have spoken out and made claims that the management of the city's oldest institution has created a culture of "fear and suspicion."
The claims from multiple whistleblowers come after an internal survey discovered that around 11% of staff at the university had been 'bullied or harassed' at work.
David Anderson, a professor in anthropology, was one of the staff members who spoke up, as he claimed staff were left feeling 'disempowered.'
He told The Herald: "People in certain departments are very overworked. They are afraid senior management will come after them, so they don’t speak up or say no.
"People feel completely disempowered. There is no evidence that feedback is being implemented."
Another anonymous staff member raised their concerns also, stating: "People who ask difficult questions are being targeted with the effect of silencing them, creating a chilling effect on free speech.
"We have been stripped of our autonomy as academics. It makes many of us feel disrespected."
The claims come after the university revealed in late 2023 that it was facing a funding black hole of £15m following a significant drop in the number of international student enrolments.
More than 200 staff members were also let go through several rounds of voluntary severance, with tensions heightened when 30 modern languages staff received 'risk of redundancy' letters.
In a statement, a University of Aberdeen spokesperson said: "The UK higher education sector is experiencing unprecedented financial challenges, and the University of Aberdeen took early and effective action to make £19m of in-year savings.
"During this change programme we offered voluntary severance and enhanced retirement packages, reviewed the courses that we offer and provided regular financial updates to staff...
From: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/university-aberdeen-staff-speak
Also: Aberdeen University staff open up on ‘bullying’ and ‘disrespect’
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