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BBC News
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Cardiff University: 'Land of song silenced if arts axed'
Plans to axe music courses at Cardiff University will silence Wales as the "land of the song", a former student has of the university's brass band, Ianto Williams, described the proposal as "incomprehensible" as music was the "heart of Wales", adding "the city will go quiet, it will be apocalyptic".Music is one of the subjects facing cuts at the university - alongside nursing, modern languages, ancient history and religion and theology - as it confirmed plans to cut 400 full-time jobs amid a funding shortfall earlier this university said the role cuts were only a proposal and it was committed to an intake for the coming academic year, while current students would be able to finish their degrees. Angry, confused and upset, is how Mr Williams said he felt following the announcement on Tuesday. "Wales without music is going to be a desolate, horrible place."Music plays such an important part in Welsh history and Welsh culture. It's the soundtrack to our lives," Mr Williams said there was a lack of understanding around what it took to become a musician, and losing the knowledge base at the institution would be a massive loss, with huge knock on affects for Wales as a nation."It's going to leave Wales as a country with no place on the world stage musically, which is a really soul-destroying thought," he said.A petition to save the study has gained nearly 15,000 signatures since the announcement, with past and present students rallying together. German and Japanese student Theodore Ackers put the arts being axed down to comments made by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, about Conservative plans to tackle what they call "mickey mouse degrees"."He pushed for STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] subjects and a decline in the arts," said the 23-year-old, adding that people should be allowed to study what they enjoy. The final year student said the department of modern languages did not receive any internal communication from the university, and found out about the cuts from the media. She said the situation was "diabolical" and she felt "deeply sorry" for her lecturers.A spokesperson for Cardiff University said it was always its intention to speak to students and staff first and was "extremely disappointed" that the proposals were leaked to the media. Ms Ackers described her teachers as "fantastic people", many of which have migrated to Wales and built lives in the city teaching their language. "Why not make the cuts at the top of the university," she said, referring to the university's Vice- Chancellor, Professor Wendy Larner, whose salary is £290,000 per annum. "These subjects are so important, why make cuts to the whole subject, why not make some cuts to more subjects?" she added. The proposed closure of nursing has also raised concerns from union leaders for future nurse supply in Wales. Helen Whyley, executive director of the Royal College of Nursing Wales, said the university has a "significant pipeline" in delivering nurses to health boards in south Wales. Adult nursing student, Layla Cahill Harris, said she was distraught and disappointed - but most of all angry for nurses. "With the state of the NHS in Wales and call-out for nurses, I'm really confused by the decision," she said. "Nursing is not an easy course to get onto at Cardiff, it's held in high esteem," she said. "If it's happened to us, it can happen to anyone," adding there was a threat of losing trust and hope in further education. Ms Harris said cuts could be made elsewhere, such as withdrawing funding for study abroad schemes, as students can receive from £500 to £1000 from the university. The University and College Union in Wales condemned the plans as "cruel and unnecessary" and called upon the institution to use its reserves of more than £500m instead of axe jobs. There are several reasons behind the financial difficulties facing UK universities, including lower numbers of international student, partly due changes in visa second year French language student Logan Wareham,19, believed shutting down the school of modern languages will make international students even less likely to Wareham said the university needed to reconsider all of its choices and come with a better solution. He was concerned the standards of teaching would go down and students would struggle "badly" as a result. "I worry for the future of modern foreign languages because if this can happen at a Russell group university, then it can happen anywhere." Doctor Flint Dibble, a teacher in archaeology, said the plans were an "absolute decimation" of humanities subjects on a "personal level". Dr Dibble said humanities were often the target of cuts, but believed the decision had been made in a short-sighted way and would have long-lasting impacts. "I am absolutely appalled and devastated," he said, adding it was "an alarm bell for everybody out there".Archaeology is part of the School of History, Archaeology and Religion at Cardiff University, which under the proposal is merging with three other schools into a new school of Global Humanities."I think that the decision is ridiculous. It's a big mistake to be cutting such huge, significant and important components of the university. "We are a major asset for the city, for the nation and for the country as a whole". Cardiff University's Vice-Chancellor Professor Wendy Larner stressed the plans were proposals and said "final plans will be shaped by our community - both internal and external - through formal consultation". In a statement, she said a 90 day consultation period would also develop and refine how the university addressed the financial challenge. A spokesperson added there would be no impact on current students in the immediate term and where programmes closed, "teach out plans will be developed to protect and support those impacted".
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cardiff uni job cuts 'threaten supply of nurses'
Job cuts at Cardiff University threaten the supply of nurses in Welsh health boards, a union leader has warned. The university has confirmed plans to cut 400 full-time jobs amid a funding shortfall, with proposals involving course closures, and department mergers, with nursing, music and modern languages among the subjects facing cuts. Helen Whyley, executive director of the Royal College of Nursing Wales, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast the proposals were "worrying." Cardiff University said no "final decisions" had been made regarding the proposals, and there would be "no immediate impact" on nursing students. Cardiff University plans to cut 400 jobs and axe courses Fears for hundreds of uni jobs due to funding gap Why are tuition fees going up and is university worth it? Lecturers have begun receiving letters advising them their post is at risk and offering links to support - although the university has said it would only make compulsory redundancies "if absolutely necessary". Ms Whyley said the university has a "significant pipeline" in delivering nurses to health boards in south Wales, describing it as "one of our largest providers" with more than 1,000 students. "It doesn't take a mathematician to work out the students that come through Cardiff University are a very important contribution into that pipeline," she said. Ms Whyley said hospitals in Wales were short of 2,000 nurses, and while that number was decreasing, hospitals are "still in a very difficult position". A Cardiff University spokesperson said there was "still a great deal of detail to work through before any decisions are made". "In the short term, there will be no immediate impact on nursing students or their ability to complete their studies," they said, adding that it was "acutely aware" of its role in delivering healthcare professionals in Wales and was "actively consulting with all stakeholders". It is also a worrying time for the university's prospective students as today marks the UCAS equal consideration deadline. However, Courteney Sheppard, from UCAS, said students "can still apply to university or college after today" as long as the courses remain open. She urged students to speak to the university directly if they are concerned about a particular course. Ancient history and religion Theology Nursing Music Modern languages Chemistry, earth sciences and physics merged to create the School of Natural Sciences Computer science and maths merged to become the School of Data Science Social sciences, geography and planning merged to become the School of Human and Social Sciences English, communication and philosophy, Welsh and remaining elements of history, archaeology and religion and modern languages merged into the School of Global Humanities Fflur James, a second-year student studying French and Welsh, said she and her classmates in the modern languages department faced "uncertainty". "I was in a French class and the teacher said she had to leave early to go to a meeting that would determine the demise of the school," she said. "Everyone in my class looked at each other in surprise. "The uncertainty is the biggest thing and the thing that worries me. "I'm not sure where this leaves me. I hope that I'll graduate here at Cardiff University, but of course that uncertainty is still around us." Cadi, a year 13 student from Ysgol Bro Myrddin, in Carmarthenshire, was hoping to study child nursing in Cardiff. She said the situation has made her feel "really disappointed" in the university. "I'm hurt that they've left it to the last minute. It's not fair on us, as applicants," she said. Cadi said she is now looking at the option of studying outside of Wales, which means she would not have the opportunity to use the Welsh language outside of Wales. Sector body Universities UK said universities have been doing "more with less for years". "The sector desperately needs a funding rethink, starting with a guarantee from government that the recent rise will continue to be matched to inflation, not just a one-off increase," it said in a statement. On Tuesday Vice-Chancellor Professor Wendy Larner said the university would have become "untenable" without drastic reforms. She said the job role cuts were only a proposal, but insisted the university had to "take difficult decisions" amid declining international student applications and increasing cost pressures, and most UK universities were grappling with a "broken" funding system. In recent years, most of Wales' eight institutions have been seeking voluntary redundancies and making cuts, citing similar challenges to institutions in the rest of the UK. Since September 2023, Swansea University has confirmed that 342 staff have left or are leaving under its voluntary scheme. It will have to increase the level of savings it needs to make by £30m by 2026-27, but a spokesperson told Newyddion S4C it is confident it can avoid compulsory redundancies. Aberystwyth University has confirmed that 101 staff have left through voluntary redundancy, while Bangor says it cannot confirm yet how many staff will be leaving under its scheme but more than 100 vacant posts have been closed. At the University of South Wales just over 100 staff have left voluntarily but it's currently consulting on proposals to cut 160 jobs in non-academic professional services roles. Cardiff Metropolitan University says 60 staff have left so far under voluntary severance with another scheme ongoing. Figures for staff leaving the University of Wales Trinity St David are currently low, at around 26, but its recent decision to stop undergraduate teaching at its Lampeter campus was another example of pressures in the sector. Politicians were due to speak about the cuts in the Senedd on Wednesday. "What has particularly alarmed me is the cuts being proposed to their nursing course," said Tory education spokeswoman Natasha Asghar. Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster spokesperson David Chadwick said the UK government's "increase to national insurance" is having an impact on the proposed job losses. Plaid Cymru education spokesperson Cefin Campbell said the news of Cardiff job cuts was met with "deafening silence" by the Welsh government. A Welsh government spokesperson said it was "very disappointed that nursing courses form part of these proposals" and that it was "working urgently" to ensure the same number of nurses were trained in Wales. Additional reporting by Maria Cassidy
BBC News
29-01-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Cardiff University 400 job cuts 'threaten supply of nurses'
Job cuts at Cardiff University "threaten the supply of nursing" in Welsh health boards, a union leader has university has confirmed plans to cut 400 full-time jobs amid a funding shortfall, with proposals involving course closures, and department mergers, with nursing, music and modern languages among the subjects facing Whyley, executive director of the Royal College of Nursing Wales, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast the proposals were "worrying." Lecturers have begun receiving letters advising them their post is at risk and offering links to support - although the university has said it would only make compulsory redundancies "if absolutely necessary". Ms Whyley said the university has a "significant pipeline" in delivering nurses to health boards in south Wales. "The Welsh government through Health Education Improvement Wales commissions nursing education and funds the universities to do that, and it's one of our largest providers," she said. "It has a school of well over 1,000 students so that's a significant number that come out every year. "At a time where we have a significant number of nursing vacancies, it doesn't take a mathematician to work out the students that come through Cardiff University are a very important contribution into that pipeline," she said. Ms Whyley said the cuts would also have an impact on the future of nursing added that hospitals in Wales were short of 2,000 nurses and while the number was starting to decrease "hospitals are still in a very difficult position". Following Tuesday's announcement, Cardiff lecturers began receiving letters from the university informing them of the planned read in part: "Please see attached a copy of your notification of consultation letter advising that your post is at risk of redundancy and providing links to support available for you during this time of change. Also attached are the proposals for change in your school."On Tuesday Vice-Chancellor Professor Wendy Larner said the university would have become "untenable" without drastic said the job role cuts were only a proposal, but insisted the university had to "take difficult decisions" amid declining international student applications and increasing cost pressures, and most UK universities were grappling with a "broken" funding system. Elsewhere, Swansea University said it will have to make £30m of cuts by the 2026/27 financial year despite more than 300 staff members leaving since September 2023. The university's annual report, published this week, said it had made £8.5m in savings through voluntary redundancies in this financial they stated they will extend their current financial savings programme for a further year and increased the level of expenditure savings by £30 University told Newyddion S4C: "Even taking the additional savings required into account, we are confident that we will meet our academic pay savings targets this year through vacancy management and our Voluntary Exit Scheme (VES) and can avoid compulsory redundancies relating to our financial position."Plaid Cymru education spokesperson Cefin Campbell said the news of Cardiff job cuts was met with "deafening silence" by the Welsh government. He challenged the Welsh government to explain "what they knew and when" about Cardiff's plans and called on the university to urgently rethink its proposals.A Welsh government spokesperson said it was "very disappointed that nursing courses form part of these proposals" and that it was "working urgently" to ensure the same number of nurses were trained in Wales.A statement shared by Cardiff University Student Union president Madison Hutchinson said: "We want to express our unwavering support with all students, and solidarity to staff who may be impacted."
