The university announced last week it cut 107 staff who had applied for voluntary redundancies, which it said would lead to savings of $9m by 2025.
In response to questions from the Otago Daily Times, the university confirmed yesterday it had identified a further $10m in potential savings from "management of change processes".
Acting vice-chancellor Prof Helen Nicholson said savings could include staff not being replaced and more redundancies.
Some of the savings were expected to come from reviews of the papers and programmes taught, she said.
"While these processes are in progress, it will be some time before the final potential savings are confirmed."
Savings might include consumables, space savings, efficiency initiatives, contracts ending and redundancies, she said.
"We understand the changes we are working through make this a challenging and unsettling time for our staff.
"But we are working through these options methodically and carefully to make the right decisions for staff, students and the university’s future."
The $10m in savings was part of $38m it had identified it could make by 2025.
That still leaves another $23.5m in savings needed to reach its $61.5m target.
Of the previously announced 107 redundancies, 36 were from health science, 14 from sciences, eight from commerce, 10 from humanities, 22 from operations and 17 from academic, external engagement, financial services and research divisions.
"All areas of the university are currently under review," Prof Nicholson said.
"The heads of all of our operations are making their way through departments and services looking for areas where it makes strategic and financial sense to make changes."
Prof Nicholson said a wide range of work was being done to address the financial situation.
"We are not just reliant upon increasing student enrolments and the number of international students to address the financial situation.
"Voluntary redundancies are obviously a part of this, but other initiatives under way include reviewing our operations and services, assets, capital projects, papers and programmes."
The university had also identified about $5m for revenue growth, including
extra funding announced by the government and more revenue for extra medical student placements, Prof Nicholson said.
"The balance of extra revenue opportunities is confidential as it is commercially sensitive business information."
Tertiary Education Union organiser Philip Edwards said several proposals were in process, but the full recovery plan was not clear and had not been communicated to the union.
