A further 50 academic staff have accepted early retirement through the academic renewal process - with savings from these positions to be reinvested in new positions.

A spokeswoman noted an unspecified number of staff positions were already subject to a hiring freeze and likely to take the figure to the target well before the 2015 deadline. Retiring staff will be leaving the university on December 31 but will be ''encouraged to continue their association with the university through a range of options including honorary appointments, joining the Emeritus Faculty or registering with ANUedge to provide expertise to industry via commercial arrangements, such as consulting or with Centre for Continuing Education''. ANU earlier this year announced its target of reducing professional staff by 230 positions over two years as it grappled with a more than $50 million federal funding shortfall under the then Labor government.

Executive director of policy and planning Chris Grange said the university did not expect the voluntary retirement scheme to achieve the full reduction in staff, but the acceptances were higher than expected. The university would continue a freeze on professional staff recruitment until the reduction was achieved and said ''there still remains a great deal of work to do in resolving duplication of roles and administrative improvements at the university''. Staff forums will be held on December 2 and December 5 for areas to discuss changes. Emma Macdonald