Academics at the University of Lincoln are to warn managers that moving the main campus from Hull to Lincoln could put the institution's future at risk.
The shift is the main plank of a recovery plan designed to overcome severe student under-recruitment. It involves the loss of up to 260 jobs, almost half of which will be academic.
A report being drawn up by academics says: "The recovery plan presented by management poses a clear risk to teaching quality, staff morale and the student experience, which potentially places the viability of the whole institution in jeopardy."
The closure of degree courses in engineering, languages and social sciences, or in some cases their relocation from Hull to Lincoln, will also have a damaging effect on the regional educational landscape, the report says.
There are fears that non-traditional students will be further disadvantaged. In the past, when courses for local students have been moved, recruitment has dropped by up to 80 per cent according to the report.
"The staffing complement at the chalk face is to be cut severely whereas the number of students is to increase by 10 per cent over the next four years. The only possible outcomes are rising workloads, less accessibility of staff for students and the over stretching of staff expertise," the report says.
Pro vice-chancellor Derek Crothall said redundancies were being phased in over two years with planning to ensure that adjustments were in academic areas where recruitment had tailed off. A joint planning group had been established with the University of Hull to ensure that the quality of higher education in the city was maintained, he said.