Open University vice-chancellor Peter Horrocks could face vote of no confidence

'For him to dismiss axeing hundreds of staff as reprioritising is really insulting'

Peter Horrocks has faced growing criticism after he announced plans to cut staff and courses (Charlie Forgham-Bailey)

Open University staff are to vote on whether its vice-chancellor should resign with immediate effect after he claimed they were “not teaching” and dismissed cuts as “reprioritising”.

Academics will decide whether to issue a vote of no confidence in Peter Horrocks next week over his plans to cut hundreds of jobs and to reduce the number of courses by a third.

The University and College Union (UCU) claimed that Mr Horrocks’ position is now untenable. Union members will attend an emergency meeting next week, where they will vote on a motion calling for Mr Horrocks’ immediate resignation.

They said the planned cuts will “destroy” the institution and reduce it to a “digital content provider”.

Lydia Richards, UCU regional official, said: “The vice-chancellor’s position now looks untenable and UCU members will vote next week on a motion calling on him to go immediately.

“His cuts would destroy the Open University as we know it and for him to dismiss axeing hundreds of staff as reprioritising is really insulting. To follow all that up by attacking his own staff looks like something straight out of the Gerald Ratner handbook. We want a halt to the cuts and a full investigation into how these proposals have been arrived at."

She added: “We have no confidence in the vice-chancellor or that there has been proper scrutiny in developing these plans. The Open University is a fantastic institution with a proud reputation built on the hard work of the staff and its innovative approach to higher education. We need senior staff to be talking it up, not attacking academics or dismissing serious cuts.”

The Open University announced a special meeting of the governing council for 9 April. This will be followed by a meeting of the academic governing body on 18 April.

An Open University spokesperson said: “We are mid-way through an ambitious programme to transform the way we teach our students so that they have the best preparation for the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

“The plans have sparked a lively internal debate as well as a degree of concern. We can confirm that these concerns will be discussed more thoroughly at a special meeting of the University Council and later at the OU’s academic governing body, the Senate.”