Queen's planning to cut 150 staff

The university plans to stop offering degrees in German

Queen's University Belfast is planning to make 150 academic staff redundant, the BBC has learned.

It is understood the university has blamed a funding shortage and the poor performance of some of its staff for the cutbacks.

The university has told staff it needs to make cutbacks because it expects government funding to be reduced.

However, the Department of Employment and Learning said funding for this financial year has been increased.

"To date, Queen's University Belfast has not informed, or consulted, us on changes in the number of staff, or the provision of degree subjects, for the coming year," a statement said.

"Funding to the university for 2009/10 has actually increased.

"The learning and teaching provision has increased by 2% and the Research provision has increased by 7.7% from the previous academic year."

The university also plans to stop offering degrees in German. A move the department has described as "catastrophic" and "short-sighted".

The autumn intake of students wanting to study German will go ahead, but the department is likely to be wound down after that.

The University and Colleges Union said the cuts will have a negative impact on the standard of education offered at the university.

Spokesman Paul Hudson said: "Because all the people who concentrate on teaching are in the group who are being invited to leave, it gives the message that teaching is unimportant."

The academic plan is to go before the university senate in 10 days.

A statement from the university said no decision had yet been taken.