UCU Wales calls on Cardiff Metropolitan University to end governance failure

The criticism comes before the Minister for Education Leighton Andrews is due to give his statement on the reconfiguration of higher education in South East Wales.

Last week (Monday 9 July 2012) the Board of Governors at Cardiff Metropolitan University took the decision to stand alone and not join Glamorgan University and University of Wales Newport in creating a new single higher education institution for South East Wales.

UCU Wales believes that this decision will lead to a substantial reduction in the breadth of higher education provision at Cardiff Metropolitan University.*
 
This latest decision by governors at Cardiff Metropolitan University follows a series of decisions that question whether the governing body is truly acting in the best interests of staff, students, the community and wider stakeholders.

Bethan Thomas, Wales Support Official, stated: 'It is UCU's considered opinion that the decision of the Board of Governors is clearly unsustainable. The Cardiff Met Board should not arbitrarily play politics with the jobs and livelihoods of its employees. Its decision will impact negatively on staff, students and the higher education community.

'UCU Wales is calling on the Board of Governors of Cardiff Metropolitan University to see sense and reverse their perverse position in relation to the Welsh Government's ambitions for the South East Wales higher education sector. UCU urges the Board to engage positively and constructively with the policy aims and ambitions of the Welsh Government.'
 

Notes

*Since 2006 the governing body has made decisions resulting in closure of its engineering department and programme closures in its Education and Art and Design Schools, including several humanities programmes and its well respected BA Interior Architecture programme.  During the same period, the University has lost c.176 jobs, including 70 academic posts. It is noted that the number of student applicants to the university has fallen by 17.5% in 2012. UCU Wales also understands that for the first time ever Cardiff Metropolitan Sports Science programmes will be offered through clearing for 2012