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Students may leave uni over plan to move department

BBC Anya has red hair and glasses BBC
Anya d’Abdank Kunicki, from Canada, specifically chose to study in Lampeter

Students in a small Welsh town have said they are considering changing universities over plans to move the humanities department more than 20 miles away.

University of Wales Trinity St David, Wales' oldest degree-awarding institution, has proposed moving the department from Lampeter, Ceredigion, to Carmarthen, from September.

One student called the university "reprehensible".

The university said there was a "progressive decline" in face-to-face teaching and the current situation was "not sustainable".

It confirmed the proposals to move up to 30 courses, which would end undergraduate teaching on the campus, but said it could not comment further until meetings with staff and students had taken place.

Ancient history student Kayleigh Iacov said she was "not happy at all".

"I’m quite seriously considering changing university because of this," she said.

"I chose this university specifically because of its specific teaching style and environment."

International development and global politics student Jamie Fitter, said he also chose Lampeter specifically as a place to study.

"It’s not fair to be told now that we have to move. I think the way the university has dealt with it is reprehensible."

Jamie Fitter has long hair tied back and is wearing a yellow fleece
Jamie Fitter called the university "reprehensible"

Meanwhile, Anya d’Abdank Kunicki, from Canada, said she was "scared" and "worried for her future" because of the cost of moving.

"I specifically chose to come here to Lampeter to study. I like living here, I chose to live here," she said.

"I’m mostly scared. Everything is up in the air and I’m anxious because I don’t want to leave."

Ceredigion Preseli MP Ben Lake said the university was a "cornerstone" of the town and moving courses to Carmarthen would be a "heavy blow".

While acknowledging significant financial pressure on higher-education institutions, he said the university had "a duty to explain how they intend to continue higher education in Lampeter".

The university's vice chancellor, Prof Elwen Evans, will meet students later on Wednesday.

A light building with large glass windows from the floor with a grey roof, with a sign reading Y Drindod Dewi Sant Trinity Saint David
The institution has existed for more than 200 years

Businesses in the town of about 3,000 people have also expressed concern.

Elfan James from Mark Lane Bakery said the move would be "disastrous" and trade would suffer.

He described the 1990s as the "good old days", where about 1,500 students lived and studied in Lampeter.

"It was thriving. We opened the cafe in 1982, and we used to see thousands of students coming into the cafe to meet.

"Students came from all over the world speaking all sorts of languages. We don’t see that now."

The university said it was initiating dialogue over plans to move the humanities department to Carmarthen.

It said: "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."

It said it was committed to retaining the Lampeter campus estate and its deliberations would consider how to best serve students, staff and the town while ensuring the future of the institution.