Fears over what happens to students on courses earmarked for closure

The UCU said it is unclear what the timetable is for the proposed cuts at Cardiff University and what this will mean for students on affected courses. Union representatives said the thought the cuts to courses would take effect from the new academic year.

"There is no time table. What happens to students who are half way through their degrees in schools slated for closure? We don't know," said UCU representative Andy Williams.

Mr Williams warned the planned cost cutting would affect student applications for next year and have a knock on effect. Students and staff on affected courses may also leave.

Compulsory redundancy not ruled out

The UCU has warned it will "fight tooth and nail" both the proposed cuts and any compulsory redudancies at Cardiff University. In her statement Vice Chancellor Professor Wendy Larner said compulsory redundancy would only happen if "absolutelly necessary".

The announcement lists: "A reduction of academic headcount by c.400 FTE (7% of total workforce), using compulsory redundancy, only if absolutely necessary."

UCU Cardiff University representative Andy Williams said: "We are going to fight any compulsory redundancy tooth and nail. They say they are looking at getting rid of 400 academic staff, but there will be plans for non academic staff later too we think."

Welsh Conservatives respond to Cardiff University proposed cuts

Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education, Natasha Asghar MS, has said she was deeply concerned that hundreds of jobs are under threat at Cardiff University. She blamed, in part, new National Insurance payments and increased tuition fees.

But she also pointed out that financial pressures on higher education go back far before those two issues.

“Labour’s National Insurance hike has done nothing more than pile additional pressure on an already struggling higher education sector and with university becoming less appealing for many young people due in part to Labour’s increase of tuition fees. I fear that these concerns will be repeated across our Universities in Wales," Ms Ashgar said.

“Even before Labour’s NI increase, universities were already grappling with a deficit of £100m, yet no action has been taken to address this black hole. This lack of support is jeopardising the future of our higher education institutions and those who depend on them for employment and education.

“After 26 years of Labour failure in education, it’s clear that only the Welsh Conservatives have the solutions to fix these deep-rooted problems and secure a brighter future for Wales.”

The proposed cuts confirmed by Cardiff University

Although the main cuts have been trailed by the UCU Cardiff University this afternoon confirmed the following proposed cuts:

• A reduction of academic headcount by c.400 FTE (7% of total workforce), using compulsory redundancy, only if absolutely necessary.

• Ceasing subjects and programmes in Ancient History, Modern Languages and Translation, Music, Nursing, and Religion and Theology.

• Increasing student and staff ratios across the university, while at the same time revising approaches to learning, teaching and assessment, and simplifying bureaucratic processes.

1. Bringing complementary disciplines together through proposed school mergers.
2. The creation of the School of Natural Sciences (merge Chemistry, Earth Sciences and Physics)
3. School of Data Science, Computing and Mathematics (merge Computer Science and Maths)
4. School of Human and Social Sciences (merge Social Sciences, Geography and Planning)
5. School of Global Humanities (merge English, Communication and Philosophy, Welsh, and remaining elements of History Archaeology and Religion and Modern Languages).

Cardiff University Vice Chancellor says she had no choice on cuts

Cardiff University Vice Chancellor Professor Wendy Larner said the university had no choice but to act as she confirmed the cuts. She said there would be a 90 day consultation on slashing 400 academic posts as well as subject closures and School mergers.

“The precarious financial position of many universities, particularly in the context of declining international student applications and increasing cost pressures, and the need to adapt to survive are well documented,” Professor Larner said.

“We know here at Cardiff University that it is no longer an option for us to continue as we are.”

She added that “we have worked diligently to create initial proposals for a slightly smaller University, refocused around our core and emerging strengths,”

Professor Larner stressed that the cuts are sill proposals and said “our final plans will be shaped by our community – both internal and external - through formal consultation”.

But she warned that “the scale of the challenge will remain”.

Call for Welsh Government to save Welsh universities

Gareth Lloyd, UCU Wales Official said: “Whilst Cardiff’s senior management have questions to answer, these announcements cannot be removed from the wider context of a higher education funding crisis”.

“Nowhere else in the Welsh public sector do we find a combination of job losses through VS, pay freezes and the very real risk of compulsory redundancy.”

“In contrast to other bodies, universities are prevented from making a public case for more money on the basis that students will not apply to an institution if they think it is at risk.”

“UCU members are neither able nor willing to carry the cost of inaction. If Welsh Government wants to avoid a cycle of redundancies and damaging strikes, then it will need to use 2025/26 budget to stabilise the sector”.

Staff left meetings in shock and disbelief as cuts announced

Cardiff University staff were left shell shocked after the cuts were announced at a series of meetings in affected departments today. Union officials also attended a meeting in the main building with Vice Chancellor Professor Wendy Larner.

The UCU described the 400 jobs losses, degree course and academic school closures and mergers as "unprecedented in the sector" despite financial strain in universities across Wales and the UK as a whole.

The list of Cardiff University academic schools merging as part of cuts

The UCU said it has been told the following academic schools at Cardiff University are to merge under the cuts announced today. This list was announced at meetings, the UCU said, but have not been publicly confirmed by the university:

School of Natural Science Chemistry: Earth Sciences; Physics)

School of Data Science, Mathematics and Computing (Computer Science and Maths)

School of Human and Social Sciences (Social Sciences; Geography and Planning)

School of Global Humanities (English, Communication and Philosophy; Modern Languages; History Archaeology and Religion; Welsh)

The Cardiff University degree courses that will close, according to the UCU

Cardiff University is yet to confirm any of the cuts that the UCU has said its members and affected staff were told of at a series of meetings today. But the UCU said the following degree courses are to close, although the union said the timetable is unclear, it is expected before the start of the 2025-26 academic year.

The list of academic schools and degree courses to be shut at Cardiff, according to the UCU:

Nursing

Modern foreign languages

Music

Ancient history (within the school of history, which remains)

Religion and theology

UCU will ballot for strike action over 'brutal' cuts

The UCU said it will ballot members for strike action over what it described as "brutal and unncessary" cuts at Cardiff University. UCU representative Andy Williams said: "Everyone is shell-shocked at the scale of these cuts. These cuts will damage the university, the city, and Wales as well as our members."

He said the UCU was told the 400 jobs going are all academic and represent around 7% of the university workforce. He said he expected more cuts might follow among non-academic staff in affected departments.