Swansea’s vice-chancellor says Welsh unis aren’t ‘going bust’ despite current deficits

Swansea University’s vice-chancellor has said that Welsh universities are not “going bust”, despite current deficits.

However, the vice-chancellor and head of Universities Wales, a group that represents all Welsh universities, said that he has not “seen a financial situation like this in decades”.

This come as Cardiff University proposed plans to cut 400 jobs, merge selected departments, and eliminate others, which has caused some concerns regarding the other Welsh higher education institutions.

Welsh Government Minister, Vicky Howells has said that there is no more money in the sector, however, has announced today that £19 million will be going to universities in the nation.

According to the BBC, the chair of Universities Wales and the vice-chancellor of Swansea University, Paul Boyles said: “I don’t believe we’re in the situation where universities are close to going bust, but I have to be honest, I’ve never seen a financial situation like this in the decades that I’ve worked in the sector.”

Adding that universities are in “the toughest position that [they have] been in, and as a result, universities were having to take really tough decisions”.

After it was already announced in December that tuition fees were raised in line with inflation, the financial uncertainty of Welsh universities was put further into question. The increase in fees brings the funding of Medr, the body that funds and regulates universities in Wales, up to a total of £200m.

The announcement presents the uncertainty over higher education in Wales for both current students in the departments set to be axed and potential students of the future. The lack of funding puts Wales in a potentially problematic position in attracting new students, who want their university to be financially stable and abundant in opportunity, as such the current situation could drive them elsewhere.

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Conservative education spokesperson, Natasha Asghar MS said the proposed cuts at Cardiff University were an example of “educational vandalism” and said it was time for the Welsh government to act “rather than be sitting at their desks”. However, this was before the announcement of the £19 million of funding.

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