Universities in danger: the University of Montpellier expresses its concerns
Committed to the defense of a public, research-intensive and professional university, Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, would like to express his concern about the increasing financial constraints weighing on higher education establishments.
For many years now, universities have been asked to take on new missions (commitment to ecological transition, development of support for professional integration, establishment in balanced territories and towns, better support for inclusion and disability, actions in favor of student health, the fight against sexual and gender-based violence...), the cost of which has never been fully compensated by the State.
More recently, a number of human resources measures have been introduced by the French government, for which no full compensation has been paid:
- This is the case for the so-called "Guerini" indexation measures (3.5% increase in 2022, 1.5% increase in 2023, 5-point increase in 2024), which will cost the University of Montpellier 7 million euros in 2024, and will continue to do so in 2025;
- this is also the case for other schemes launched by the French government (sustainable mobility package, CET, teleworking allowance, etc.), which represent an additional cost of 3 million euros already borne by the company in 2024, and which will also be renewed in 2025.
Without calling into question the interest of these measures for our community, it is important to remember that the State must take responsibility for its choices, and cannot leave the financing of the measures it announces to its operators. Common sense dictates that the decision-maker (the State) should be the one to pay!
At the same time, the University has had to bear, and continues to bear, the increased cost of fluids, linked to the energy crisis (additional costs of 2 million euros per year, uncompensated). For 2025, all the measures mentioned above, which have not been compensated for, already represent more than 12 million euros. Until now, the University of Montpellier's significant level of own resources, combined with rigorous management, has cushioned the impact of these additional expenses imposed by the State.
Add to this the Government's very recent announcement that it will increase, without compensation, the contributions to the Compte d'Affectation Spéciale (CAS Pensions) for the civil servants' pension scheme, which will represent a further 5 million euros in additional costs. All in all, we're already up to 17 million euros uncompensated under the 2025 budget. These charges, which are not compensated by the State, are putting the University in a difficult position, as they are putting a considerable strain on its working capital (reserves).
However, university working capital is not a "war chest", as some might think. It is the result of sound, rigorous management, enabling the establishment to carry out large-scale operations in the service of our students and staff. Forcing us to make massive withdrawals from our working capital in order to erode it, or even make it zero, would result in the total asphyxiation of the University!
Faced with this gradual disengagement from the State, universities will be forced to curb their initiatives, particularly in terms of building renovation, support for innovation and research, educational investment and training provision, at a time when French universities have gained undeniable visibility in international rankings in recent years.
It's a blow to the men and women who devote themselves to our establishments on a daily basis.
This is a major blow to the role of universities as social elevators for our students.
This is a blow to the economic development work we represent in our territories.
Ultimately, this will be a blow to the attractiveness of higher education and research in France.
The University of Montpellier, deeply attached to the values of public service, cannot bring itself to stop pursuing the ambitious dynamic it has initiated.