JOB losses loom at the University of Cumbria as the vice chancellor sets out her plan for the future.

Professor Julie Mennell has admitted the university will be determining 'by what level' the staff resource should be reduced.

"We know that if we compare ourselves to the sector in terms of the proportion the sector spends on staff, that figure is just over 50 per cent," she explained. "And we know that where we are currently, just over two thirds of our income is associated with staffing.

"It's likely that if we're going to have sufficient headroom in terms of being able to invest in a high-quality student experience and our estate then we need to be closer to the sector average in terms of salary costs than we are now."

Iain Owens, regional official for the University College Union northern region, said that he was in talks with the university.

"We accept there are certain financial issues at the university," he said. "We accept for example that the government's decision to take away bursaries for nursery and midwifery students and make students take out loans has had a significant impact at every university.

"We do acknowledge that the university does need to make some savings."

However, he said that the union's bottom line was that it would not accept any compulsory redundancies.

A voluntary severance scheme was offered to staff in December and closed in January, with 22 employees choosing to leave.

Professor Mennell, who joined the university at the beginning of August last year, said that she was 'very clear' in terms of what her role was.

"My role is about securing the further and the future success and sustainability of the university," she said.

"When I came in in August I indicated to staff that we would be starting the process of developing a new strategic plan for the university that would be approved at the end of this academic year, to be implemented from 2017/18 and beyond."

The vice chancellor said that the university would be focusing on developing the region's talent base, growing student numbers and placing more focus on health, sport and wellbeing, education, arts and culture, STEM, business and professional services, rural and visitor economy.

The university, which has campuses in Ambleside, Carlisle and Lancaster, celebrates its 10 year anniversary this year.

It is anticipated that the strategic plan will be formalised at the end of this month and will be implemented from August 1.