Cardiff Uni students unlikely to graduate in St David’s Hall next summer due to RAAC

Cardiff University students may not be able to graduate in St David’s Hall next year due to RAAC.

However, after the recent closure of St David’s Hall, Cardiff Council met on the 26th October to discuss their plans to “safely reopen [the venue] as quickly as possible”.

Although the initial plans were for a temporary closure, it’s estimated that repairs will take one to three years due to the extensive damage done to the property’s roof, with experts have saying that the venue could be closed until 2025.

The council stated that they could provide a temporary solution, however, they feel it is unsafe to open the property back to the public at the “potential risk of [further] failure”.

Due to the time proposed time period of repairs being up to three years, Cardiff University students are now left in the dark for their 2024 graduation ceremonies.

Haris, a recent graduate of the BSC economics, sociology, and history shared his thoughts and concerns on the recent news: “I graduated last year in there and it’s just sad that I was the last group, [it] just puts more pressure on the uni to find an alternative.”

The now Cardiff MA student continued: “If [the closure is] for “concrete” and being “unsafe” then I’m genuinely concerned about the other establishments in Cardiff.

When questioned if there are any concerns about where their graduation would be held next Summer, Cardiff University student Sebastian said: “I don’t think St David’s Hall is that aesthetic anyway, so I don’t mind at all.”

He continued: “What matters to me is the pics outside the Main Building. That’s what shows it’s Cardiff.”

Sophia, a third-year English literature student, explained that although like Sebastian, she isn’t “bothered about where [she] graduate[s]” she would like the uni to communicate with the students.

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