New UEA boss greeted by angry protests over university's financial crisis

• Rob Setchell spoke to the new UEA vice-chancellor on his first day.

The new vice-chancellor of a troubled university says it needs to go through a "correction period" to fix its broken finances.

There was a noisy reception for Prof David Maguire as he was greeted by protests on his first day at the University of East Anglia in Norwich.

Prof Maguire has walked into a febrile atmosphere amid concern over what a huge cost-cutting plan might mean for jobs and courses.

The university is in the grip of a financial crisis, needing to save £45m over the next three years.

Elise Page, postgraduate officer at the students' union, said students were worried their courses might not continue next year.

She said: "I've had post-graduate students emailing me telling me how devastated they are. They don't know if their supervisors are going to be here next year.

"People are really worried about their futures."

Staff are also anxious about their jobs.

Dr Georgia Philip, a lecturer, said: "We were informed on 16 January that there was a financial crisis but since then we're still waiting for a clear plan and clear information about what's happening.

"Staff feel ignored and I think they feel frustrated and scared. This is more than a livelihood for many people."

Prof David Richardson resigned as vice-chancellor in February, since when there has been an interim leader.

His long-term successor Prof Maguire admitted the university was facing difficulties.

He said: "Yes, there is a financial challenge at the university but I'd like to remind everybody that fundamentally this is a great university which for decades has been doing wonderful work.

"It's had a really significant impact on Norwich, Norfolk and Suffolk and has projected itself on to the global stage."

Prof Maguire said he was not surprised to be greeted by protests because "in a staff and student body of more than 20,000 people it's not surprising to find a relatively small number who want to express their democratic right and draw things of concern to our attention".

The UEA is not the only university struggling with inflated costs but it has particular challenges.

It is not attracting enough students, despite a drive to get more from overseas because they pay higher fees.

Student Ella Thorton came to the UEA from the University of Cambridge, where she struggled with her mental health, and said she wanted to support the staff who have supported her.

The 21-year-old said: "It's the lecturers, the day-to-day staff, the catering staff, the cleaning staff that make the place what it is. And they're the ones at risk - not the executive team.

"I've never met them, I don't know who they are. They're not the ones who have made UEA so wonderful for me."

Prof Maguire said the university's problems were not down to a failure of leadership.

"If the senior team is guilty of anything it's perhaps seeking to protect the staff and not acting sooner rather than later.

"There's a period of correction that's required to get the university back on the path to financial sustainability.

"There will need to be a further headcount reduction but I will be doing everything I possibly can to avoid compulsory redundancies."

Above all, staff and students say they want to be consulted - and involved - in the plan to transform the university.

Meanwhile the University of Cambridge said negotiations over staff pay needed to restart urgently to stop students facing delays over their graduation.

A marking boycott has left some students in limbo and fearing they will not get their degrees.

The dispute should be "resolved as quickly as possible" so that students have their exams marked on time, a statement from Dr Anthony Freeling, acting vice-chancellor at Cambridge University, and Michael Abberton, president of the University and College Union (UCU) Cambridge branch, has urged.

Members of the UCU began the boycott at 145 universities across the UK in an ongoing dispute over staff's pay and working conditions on 20 April.

The union has said the boycott, which has been in place for more than a month, will continue until employers make an improved offer.

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