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The University of Otago will pay more than $1 million to humanities staff whose jobs are being cut, but the English and linguistics department has managed to avoid job losses thanks to some creative negotiations.
Tertiary Education Union Dunedin organiser Shaun Scott said about 16 EFT jobs would be lost across the division.
Five staff in the music department, two in the history and art history department and four in the languages and cultures department had lost jobs.
No staff would be cut in the English and linguistics department, and negotiations with the anthropology and archaeology department were ongoing, he said.
The figure matched the "ballpark figure'' of 15 to 20 jobs pro-vice-chancellor Tony Ballantyne said were likely to be lost during the management of change process.
In August, he said the cuts were necessary because of a steady decline in the division's roll since 2010.
Yesterday, a University of Otago spokeswoman said $1,016,202 had been forecast to be paid to staff in the departments, however payments were yet to be made because staff were normally paid at the end of their notice period.
English and linguistics head of department Shef Rogers said the department had negotiated arrangements for staff in the department to take leave without pay in order for all staff to be retained.
Staff would take leave on a rolling schedule over the next four years, he said.
``We have elected to do this because we all value what we do and wish to ensure we retain expertise across the diverse range of topics that we teach in our department.''
An English and linguistics staff member, who did not want to be named, said three positions were originally meant to be axed from the department.
``The university, far from being grateful for us solving the university's problem, treated us as if we were being a nuisance or trying to play some sort of a trick, and rejected our proposal, claiming it had no strategic justification.''
The university accepted the proposal about two weeks after the initial offer following ``dozens'' of extra meetings, and the submission of a detailed teaching plan for the next four years.
Staff in the department were advised of variations to their employment in letters last Wednesday.
A humanities staff member, who did not want to be named, criticised the university for allowing budgets in the division to become so dire.
Prof Ballantyne declined to answer questions about staff numbers in humanities departments, or the agreement reached between the English and linguistics department and the university.
``I continue to stress that the approach of the review has been to protect the diversity of the division, ensuring that we continue to teach all of our programmes.''
Some 120 first-year papers would be offered in the division next year, he said.