Since May last year they have been riding the political choppy waves of Education Minister Christopher Pyne's plan to deregulate the university system in Australia.

A leaked restructure plan that would see the University of Tasmania's Newnham campus moved to Inveresk, along with a move for research to be mostly focused in Hobart, left staff in a schmozzle.

They had no set ideas about these future plans for their workplace.

So on top of drastic operational changes afoot, which remain in limbo, UTAS now has to combat confused and disgruntled staff as they experience a restructure within its faculties and departments.

Many within the university's ranks and offices speak of unsettling times.

A week before heading into their Christmas holidays, staff found out that university departments will be hauled through some significant changes.

Again.

In 2013, more than $20 million was spent on consultancy and advisory services to restructure services, which included the library and student services.

These will also be impacted this time around.

Staff found out about the changes via email, and as with most bureacratic "restructure" processes, little information was given.

To an outsider the outlined changes appeared confusing, yet those on the inside were none the wiser.

The changes include a merging of student administration and library services into one department, and the start of a new department to focus on student experience, retention and success.

Areas such as Unigym, Uniprint, infrastructure and accommodation services appear to be impacted, but staff sought more information.

The Division of Student Education is required to reduce its budget by up to $5 million, which will be done through a centralisation of services, while Commercial Services and Development could lose up to $1 million.

Some fear this means that student support services will drop dramatically, which is worrying given the university's push to get new students who are the first in their family to enter the higher education system.

Casual staff budgets in most school faculties will also be cut, where a majority of university teaching is done by casuals.

IT services are earmarked for its own restructures.

The bottom line is that staff will be asked to do more, with fewer people available.

They complain that no acceptable explanations have been given, nor do they know who and how many people will be forced to leave their ranks.

There are also concerns that student experiences will be hampered.

Low morale affects an employee's enthusiasm, confidence and loyalty in their workplace.

Given the uncertainty on the federal scale, with the Higher Education and Research Reform Amendment bill scheduled sometime in February, this morale appears doomed to slip further.

One would think that open and transparent communications would be the best way forward in a scenario such as this.

- ibird@examiner.com.au