All 'non essential' casual workers at La Trobe University will be let go from May 1 as a result of an expected $120 million to $150 million shortfall in revenue due to coronavirus.
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The university would not reveal how many people at the Wodonga campus were employed on a casual basis, or how many Wodonga staff would be let go.
A La Trobe spokeswoman said each cases was still being assessed.
She said the university would explore every possible avenue of support to enable it to keep as many staff as possible but had made some "necessary cost-saving" measures.
From May 1, only casuals "signed-off as essential by the relevant Senior Executive Group member" will be retained.
Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson said the sector would lose 21,000 jobs in the next six months.
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She said the cuts would especially hurt regional areas as universities were often a major town employer.
"The impact of COVID-19 on regional universities is a very serious matter for the communities in which they operate, as well as the nation more broadly," she said,
"You are still only half as likely to have a degree if you live in regional Australia. Redressing that gap has been a core aim for universities over the last decade.
"The current crisis will make that task harder."
Last week, the federal government announced a higher education relief package which guaranteed universities would receive certain funding at the current level for the rest of 2020, regardless of any decline in student numbers.
The La Trobe spokeswoman said the guarantee would help offset about $15 million of the university's revenue shortfall, but a "considerable gap" remained.
The Border's other higher education provider, Charles Sturt University, previously stated it would announce changes to staffing numbers and course offerings by June 2020.
Leaders at both La Trobe and CSU have taken voluntary pay cuts for 2020.
Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said about 21,000 jobs will be lost in the sector in the next six months, with regional areas to especially feel the pinch as universities were often major employers for a town.
"The impact of COVID-19 on regional universities is a very serious matter for the communities in which they operate, as well as the nation more broadly," she said,
"You are still only half as likely to have a degree if you live in regional Australia. Redressing that gap has been a core aim for universities over the last decade.
"The current crisis will make that task harder."
Digital journalists with The Border Mail.
Digital journalists with The Border Mail.
