The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) will close its teacher education program and disestablish its public health school as part of a sweeping restructure that removes more than 1,100 subjects. The proposal, released on Wednesday, aims to reduce expenditure by $100m annually after five years of deficits.
Of the 1,101 subjects to be cut, 463 had no enrolments and were not taught in 2024. The plan reduces the number of schools from 24 to 15, combining the law, business and transdisciplinary faculties. The school of public health will become a discipline within a new school of health and human performance.
The UTS Students’ Association president, Mia Campbell, said students were in “shock and disbelief”. The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) claimed viable alternatives had been dismissed, with staff losing faith in leadership. The union also noted that UTS recorded record income in 2024 and could return to surplus by 2029 without cuts.
The restructure follows a SafeWork NSW order to pause job cuts due to psychological harm risks. Academics had described a “culture of fear” after UTS temporarily paused enrolments for 120 courses. The university will discontinue 167 courses and 31% of subjects to repay a $300m bond and fund strategic needs.
The chair of a NSW legislative council inquiry into the university sector, Dr Sarah Kaine, called the closures “indefensible” amid teacher shortages and public health challenges. UTS vice-chancellor Professor Andrew Parfitt said the university was focused on a “sustainable future” with paramount commitment to student experience. Course discontinuations apply from 2026; current students will complete their studies.
