Staff at the University of Bradford could strike amid reports that the institution is to cut hundreds of jobs and close key courses.

The University and College Union said that as many as 300 jobs could go at the Yorkshire university and warned that courses in chemistry and film and television were set to be shut down.

Sixty-nine per cent of members who took part in a consultative vote said that they would be prepared to take strike action over the university’s job cuts, with the branch set to proceed to a formal ballot if jobs are not saved.

The UCU branch said vice-chancellor Shirley Condon had stated that 200 jobs would go in a £13 million cost-saving programme following a downturn in international student recruitment, but claimed that at the same meeting chief financial officer Andrew Lang had said the aim was to reduce the staff headcount to 2019 levels. This would equate to about 300 full-time equivalent jobs lost, but well over 300 individuals once those in part-time roles are factored in, the union said.

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The union lamented the planned closure of film and television courses in the year that Bradford is the UK’s City of Culture, and said that the loss of the chemistry department, including its apprenticeship programme, would hurt the regional economy.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said members “refuse[d] to bear the brunt of years of mismanagement”, branding the planned cuts “academic vandalism”.

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“The proposed cuts are fundamentally flawed and would see important courses axed. We have appealed to the vice-chancellor to work with us to defend as many jobs as possible and secure the future of our university. But no such assurances have been forthcoming,” Grady said.

“At every step, our members have demonstrated a willingness to engage with management to secure the future of the university, but management has repeatedly refused to listen to our concerns. Now UCU has shown we are willing to strike to protect jobs we hope management will begin to negotiate meaningfully and in good faith.”

A Bradford spokesman said that the university, like many others in the UK, faced “significant financial challenges”.

“We are reviewing every area of the university in order to reduce costs and create a more efficient organisation, while still providing outstanding student experience and world-leading research,” he said.

“Part of this involves reducing our staffing costs, a process which we are part way through. We appreciate this is a challenging time for our staff and we are doing everything we can to support them.”

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In a separate development, UCU members at the University of Edinburgh are also set to vote on possible strike action, after the institution announced plans to make cuts of £140 million.

However, staff have raised concerns that the university could be “manufacturing a crisis”, because it is not currently in deficit. In an indicative ballot, 75 per cent of members said that were prepared to go on strike.

“This is a strong vote for industrial action by members in this consultative ballot,” said Sophia Woodman, the UCU branch president. “Senior managers at the university should be under no illusion about the strength of feeling of staff. Instead of manufacturing a crisis, senior managers should be sitting down with the union for talks and looking to resolve this dispute before it escalates further.”

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Peter Mathieson, Edinburgh’s principal, said managers appreciated the concerns raised by staff members, but stated that “decisive action” must be taken to avoid future deficits.

“We have been very clear that our current financial position is not sustainable and we are not immune to the challenges that the higher education sector is currently facing,” Mathieson said.

“We have been and will continue to liaise with our joint trade unions throughout this process. The actions we must take now – which include a reduction of both staff and non-staff operating costs – will ensure that we remain strongly placed for the future, so that we can continue to attract the brightest minds and remain a world-leading university.”

The institutions join a growing number of universities contemplating strike action, with union members at Dundee, Brunel and Newcastle universities having already held walkouts.

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Union members at the University of Dundee ��������considering balloting for further strike action, after the provider announced plans to cut 632 jobs last week.

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com