Anger as future of Wales' oldest university campus in doubt

The future of Wales' oldest university campus is in doubt with plans to move courses, students and staff out. The University of Wales Trinity St David has told students and staff it is consulting on moving all the humanities courses taught at the 200 year-old Lampeter campus to Carmarthen next year.

Universities around Wales are facing significant financial pressures with UWTSD among those to have opened voluntary redundancy programmes. Asked whether the proposed move from the historic site was a cost cutting measure or whether any jobs would go as a result, the university would not comment, but said: "the campus has seen a steady decline in the number of students being taught in-person, this is not a sustainable situation, and we must take action."

Angry students said they would not have applied to the courses they had at Lampeter if they had known they would be moved to Carmarthen, saying the town was a 90 minute bus ride away. "People are angry and worried and we believe this is about cost cutting," said one second year student, adding that first years who have only been there a few weeks are very worried. You can read more about the financial problems at Wales' universities here.

Courses taught at Lampeter include archaeology, ancient civilizations, creative writing, history, philosophy and theology. One student suggested first years may move to other universities and that the move could also affect next year's applications, saying Carmarthen was not the destination they had chosen.

UWTSD's vice chancellor Elwen Evans said: "since the beginning of summer 2024, the senior leadership team has been undertaking a university-wide review of its activities, delivery and campuses as part of a focused response to the various pressures that have been impacting upon the HE sector over the past few months."

Her message to students went on: "Key to this review has been the objective of enhancing our overall student experience and strengthening our programme delivery and quality. We will be initiating a dialogue this week with staff and students on the Lampeter campus around a proposal to move our current and future taught humanities provision to our Carmarthen campus with effect from the new academic year starting in September 2025.

"We would aim for humanities to be a central part of the Carmarthen campus as a vibrant destination for students and staff. We believe that the Carmarthen campus provides an improved student experience through its facilities, transport links and access to extra-curricular activities."

She said the university was in "the early stages of considering the best way forward" and has invited students to a meeting tomorrow (WEDS NOV 13) for further information. She added that the university understood the news may be "unsettling" and would provide support.

Asked about the plans and any cost or job cuts, a university spokeperson said: “We are initiating a dialogue this week with staff and students at our Lampeter campus around a proposal to move our current and future taught humanities provision to our Carmarthen campus with effect from the new academic year starting in September 2025.

“Although UWTSD’s student numbers are growing overall, they are not distributed proportionately across our different campuses. Despite a range of innovative ideas to attract a greater number of students to our Lampeter campus these have not delivered, and this campus has seen a steady decline in the number of students being taught in-person. This is not a sustainable situation, and we must take action.

“Key to this proposal is maintaining continuity of education for all of our students with an objective to enhance the overall student experience and strengthen our programme delivery and quality. This would also help our Humanities programmes to develop further and flourish as an academic discipline.

“The University is committed to retaining the main Lampeter campus estate and finding alternative ways of delivering education-related activities that would give this campus a new lease of life and a more secure future.

“Our deliberations will take into account how to serve the best interest of our students, staff and the community in Lampeter whilst we also ensure the future sustainability of the institution.”

In a recent statement regarding its financial position UWTSD said it had launched a voluntary redundancy scheme, although it has stressed that it is not university-wide. The university, which has more than 16,720 students taught across six campuses and around 1,635 members of staff said it is "not immune to the challenges facing the sector and will be looking to reshape its staffing arrangements".

The statement went on: "Our recent annual business planning review highlight ed the need to renew our focus on our core mission of delivering education. While UWTSD has no plans to implement a university-wide voluntary redundancy scheme for all staff, it is not immune to the challenges facing the sector and will be looking to reshape its staffing arrangements.

"The university has begun this work and initiated its usual process to engage in dialogue with its recognised trade unions and affected staff, who have been provided with an opportunity to take voluntary redundancy. We do not have a target number for take-up of the VR offer, and each application will be carefully reviewed on its own merits."

Founded in 1822, the Lampeter campus is where higher education began in Wales. The campus was founded in 1822 as St David’s College to provide a liberal education to members of the clergy.

Over the years it developed a range of subjects as the University of Wales Lampeter. The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) was formed on 18 November 2010 through the merger of the University of Wales Lampeter and Trinity University College Carmarthen, under Lampeter’s Royal Charter of 1828.

In August 2013, Swansea Metropolitan University became part of UWTSD. The university’s Royal Charter is the oldest in Wales and England after the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

Courses taught at Lampeter include archaeology, ancient civilizations, creative writing, history, philosophy and theology, Publishing