Staff at the University of Salford in England have been warned that they could face dismissal if they are found to be responsible for a series of spoof pamphlets and posters satirising senior management.

The material emerged at Salford business school as it became the latest part of the institution to face cuts. The university is engaged in the second phase of Project Headroom, its three-year drive to cut costs by £12.5 million. More than 60 staff departed last year under voluntary-severance schemes in Headroom’s first phase. The second phase is targeting the business school, where a requirement to cut academic pay by £865,000 has led to fifteen staff taking voluntary redundancy.

One pamphlet circulated in January purported to come from the “vice consul”. It referred to staff as “plebs”, and said, “I hope the threat of the dole queue didn’t entirely spoil your Christmas dinner and festivities. Mine certainly exceeded all expectations of luxury.”

In a memo to staff on 27 February, Salford vice-chancellor Michael Harloe said, “It is obvious to most colleagues that producing and displaying posters and pamphlets, and sending malicious mail that attacks others, is unprofessional, completely inappropriate, and personally damaging to all concerned. Indeed, action of this nature could amount to gross misconduct and lead to dismissal.”

From Melanie Newman at Times Higher Education