MPs to hear from vice-chancellors on challenges facing universities in Wales
Vice-chancellors or senior representatives from Wales’ nine universities are to appear before MPs in a one-off session examining the current financial and other challenges faced by the higher education sector.
The Welsh Affairs Committee hearing next month will explore the steps the UK Government could take with the universities and the Welsh Government to ensure a sustainable future for the sector, following announcements at the start of the year of planned job losses and course cuts at universities in Wales.
Funding shortfall
In January Cardiff University outlined proposals to cut 400 staff and scrap some departments amid a funding shortfall.
The university has been consulting on the plans and the number of staff facing redundancy has now been reduced to 286.
A final decision on proposals is due to be outlined shortly before the Committee’s session.
Earlier this week Bangor University confirmed it is cutting 78 jobs in a bid to making savings worth £5.3m.
Meanwhile Cardiff Metropolitan University is also facing cuts. Originally it was thought there would be between 30 and 50 compulsory redundancies on top of recent job losses through voluntary severance.
University of Wales Trinity Saint David also announced plans in January to end undergraduate teaching at its Lampeter campus.
The Committee’s session will have a particular focus on the role of the UK Government in supporting universities, with research funding and immigration policy affecting international student numbers, among aspects of non-devolved policy impacting higher education.
Challenges
Ruth Jones MP, Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee, said: “Universities are not just important places of learning and employment for so many students and staff, but are at the heart of communities up and down Wales.
“Their future health is crucial. The proposals announced by Cardiff University earlier this year brought into sharp focus the challenges the sector is grappling with and our session will be a chance to explore whether the UK Government and others can do more to help them and universities across Wales secure a sustainable future.”
The session will take place on Wednesday 25 June at 2.30pm.
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It should be Senedd members that she sits in front of😡 Higher Education should be in the Welsh domain
Pointless exercise. Higher education is devolved in name only. All the key policy levers are at Westminster and Welsh Government washed their hands of the matter weeks ago anyway.
It says in the article, research funding and immigration rules are two non devolved areas harming this sector.
Good that Welsh MP’s are taking an interest. Having said that, and with 9 VC’s invited, they’ll get a pretty one-dimensional viewpoint unless NUS and trade unions are also in the room.
Westminster has about as much interest in our Welsh university sector as my elderly Aunt has in Kung Fu.
M.P’s could do us all a favour by telling these so-called leaders to get their collective fingers out !