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Transformation

We are transforming UOW to achieve financial sustainability after experiencing a drop in revenue in 2024 and countless external pressures that continue to impact our budget this year and into 2026.

While we’ve made progress stabilising our 2024 budget and reducing costs through the recent Teaching and Learning Change Plan, we must continue to reduce our costs and consider the work done across the whole university.

Workplace change - UOW Operations

Draft Change Proposal

The University of Wollongong (UOW) has commenced the next stage of workplace change consultation with staff following the release of the UOW Operations Draft Change Proposal.

Like many universities, UOW is facing significant financial challenges, in part due to the Australian Government’s changes to visa processing and migration policy and a sharp reduction in international student numbers. As a result, UOW suffered a $35 million drop in revenue in 2024, with ongoing impacts forecast for 2025.

The University has a clear ongoing need to reduce recurrent costs and to improve the effectiveness of its services and operations more broadly. The University must address its escalating cost base and reduce recurrent expenditure by approximately an additional $30 million, and this process will contribute to that objective.

To do this, the University is proposing to re-design its organisational structure to enable UOW to grow sustainably, amplify our impact and deliver exceptional outcomes for our students, staff and communities

Media Release

FAQs: Workplace Change - UOW Operations

The University of Wollongong (UOW) has commenced the next stage of consultation with staff in line with the requirements of our enterprise agreements after releasing the UOW Operations Draft Change Proposal today (24 March 2025).

Like many universities, UOW is facing significant financial challenges, in part due to the Australian Government’s changes to visa processing and migration policy, and a sharp reduction in international student numbers. As a result, UOW has suffered a $35 million drop in revenue in 2024, with ongoing impacts in 2025 and beyond. There remains a clear ongoing need to reduce both salary and non-salary recurrent costs and to improve the effectiveness of our central services and operations more broadly.  

While there is a strong financial imperative to this change proposal, the outcome will be a platform to drive sustainable growth and impact, with a focus on enhancing academic, research and corporate services, enabled by investment in digital systems and technology. To do this, the University is proposing to re-design its organisational structure to enable us to grow sustainably, amplify our impact and deliver exceptional outcomes for our students, staff and communities.  

The Draft Change Proposal re-designs UOW’s organisational structure to strategically position its operations and faculties for growth and future sustainability. This will help provide a platform for sustainable growth and impact, with a focus on enhancing academic, research and corporate services, enabled by investment in digital systems and technology. 

Some of the proposed changes include:  

  • Establishing a Provost to provide unifying leadership of the faculties and drive execution of our strategic objectives and academic key performance indicators.
  • A reduction from four faculties to three, together with a reduction of 18 schools to 11, to group related, complementary disciplines, promote interdisciplinary collaboration and simplify structures under the Provost.
  • Creation of a new Growth portfolio to unite domestic and international student recruitment activity, alongside our marketing, brand, communications and advancement functions, to provide a more holistic, agile and strategic approach to driving revenue growth for the University.
  • Resourcing the Office of the Vice-Chancellor to ensure a fully aligned team to support strategic coordination, effective governance, external engagement and high-level operational support.
  • The implementation of shared corporate services to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our corporate services across the University.
  • Academic, student and research support services are also proposed to be reconfigured as a hub-and-spoke model within central portfolios to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of academic and student services. 

The University is working to the following timings: 

  • Complete: Preliminary Phase: 3 – 14 February
  • Underway: Stage 1 Consultation: Monday 24 March – Friday 2 May
  • Stage 2 Consultation: Monday 2 June – Monday 16 June
  • Final Change Plan: Wednesday 23 July

If you’re a UOW staff member, you can access further information about the extent and nature of the change on the (staff login required).  

Media enquiries can be directed to (02) 4221 4227 or media@uow.edu.au

Student FAQs

UOW is proud of its student experience. Important core services will always be available, although how they are delivered may shift over time. Students will continue to be front of mind when decisions throughout the process are made.

All organisations, including universities, review costs on regular cycles. UOW is no exception, and these usual review processes will continue.

The University has a long-standing commitment to supporting students and HDR candidates through scholarships and tuition fee relief where this is incorporated into scholarships. This commitment will not change. The value and number of scholarships has and will continue to vary every year.

The University will continue to liaise regularly with the Student Advisory Council throughout this process. Student representatives will also form an important part of discussions and considerations via many university committees. Regular engagement with students regarding university services will also continue.

Courses and subjects are reviewed routinely and ongoing – these usual processes are an important part of maintaining quality for students and will continue as normal. Changes to courses or subjects are not part of the proposal currently under consultation.

UOW will continue to provide technical services required to deliver world-class research. The operating model and staff providing these services may vary, such that the technical services are provided in manner that is sustainable by the University.

The amount available to HDR candidates through the HDR Allowance is reviewed annually. The HDR Allowance rate in 2025 has not been reduced.

At present we have not identified any changes to HDR supervision as this proposal is in draft and under consultation. If at any time your supervisor leaves the University, then the University will work with you on an alternative supervisory arrangement.

Changes to the university operations and internal structures have been proposed, and the university is consulting with staff in accordance with professional services and academic Enterprise Agreements. No final decisions will be made until the conclusion of the consultation process in late July and UOW is committed to working collaboratively with staff throughout this period.

Change can be unsettling and student support is available:  

Workplace Change - Teaching and Learning

Following extensive consultation and feedback from staff, the University of Wollongong (UOW) has announced the final plan for changes to its teaching activities.  

The transformation aims to address the areas of unviable teaching activity and was made necessary because of a challenging financial outlook for the university, in part due to changes to Australian Government migration policy which contributed to a $35 million drop in revenue in 2024 and which will continue to impact UOW’s future budgets.