Staff at the University of Huddersfield are to be offered the chance to leave with a generous payout as its vice chancellor warns of challenging times ahead.

Prof Bob Cryan has also revealed that some courses which are struggling to attract students on them may be axed.

But the university also aims to invest in new departments and take on new staff too.

In an email to staff Prof Cryan said: “Once again the higher education sector faces many challenges – private providers are being encouraged to enter the marketplace, there is uncertainty about fees and our competitors are being increasingly aggressive in their student recruitment tactics. All this must influence how we shape our strategy for the next few years.

“To ensure that we maintain and develop our place within the market we have begun a process of closely analysing the provision we offer and this will continue into the future. Where subjects are less popular we will consider the closure of courses.

“While we are in the fortunate position of building on considerable success I must stress that the next few years are going to be more challenging than ever for us and for the wider sector.

"To enable us to achieve this transformation for success I write to inform you that I have opened a voluntary severance scheme offering the opportunity to leave the university on December 31, 2017.”

Those who opt to leave could receive over a year’s net salary.

Prof Cryan added: “We also need to build capacity for new provision – subjects already being explored are maths, optometry and geography.

"In addition, we need to position ourselves for the future to ensure the highest levels of academic authenticity through engaging and developing highly qualified individuals with the desire to achieve and deliver outstanding teaching and research – complemented by professional administrative and technical support.

“Our hard work so far has ensured that we have fared well in an uncertain environment. As you will all be aware the university was awarded Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

"We also have a number of other accolades to be proud of – the number one University in England for professionally qualified teaching staff; the only university in the UK where 100% of permanent teaching staff are fellows of the Higher Education Academy and the leading university for the receipt of National Teaching Fellowships for the past nine years.”

Prof Cryan will be making presentations to staff about the severance scheme this Tuesday (July 18).