The University of Exeter announced major job cuts targeting about 150 academic roles, with critics saying humanities are being disproportionately hit. The university said the reductions are needed to respond to rising costs, a real-terms decline in tuition fee income, underfunded research, and a sustained drop in international student demand. The University and College Union said roughly 500 staff had been informed they were at risk and that humanities made up 85% of those targeted. UCU also warned that Exeter’s history, English, modern languages, and politics courses could see up to 25% of staff cut. Exeter said it hopes to achieve changes through voluntary measures and to work with community and trade unions to avoid compulsory redundancies. UCU responded by stating it will ballot for industrial action and consider a vote of no confidence in Vice-Chancellor Lisa Roberts. The dispute illustrates a broader higher-education labor and curriculum stability challenge as universities attempt to rebalance budgets amid demand shifts.