University Department Relocation Prompts Student Exodus Concerns

Students in a small Welsh town are contemplating transferring universities due to a proposal to relocate the humanities department over 20 miles distant. The University of Wales Trinity St David, recognized as Wales’ oldest degree-awarding institution, has put forward a plan to shift the department from Lampeter, Ceredigion, to Carmarthen, effective September. A student described the university’s actions as “reprehensible”. The university, in response, stated that it has observed a “progressive decline” in face-to-face teaching, rendering the current situation “not sustainable”. It verified the proposals to transfer as many as 30 courses, which would cease undergraduate instruction at the campus, but indicated that additional comment was withheld pending discussions with staff and students. Kayleigh Iacov, an ancient history student, expressed that she was “not happy at all.” She added, “I’m quite seriously considering changing university because of this,” explaining, “I chose this university specifically because of its specific teaching style and environment.” Jamie Fitter, an international development and global politics student, similarly stated that he specifically selected Lampeter for his studies. He remarked, “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.” Concurrently, Anya d’Abdank Kunicki, who is from Canada, conveyed that she was “scared” and “worried for her future” due to potential moving expenses. She affirmed, “I specifically chose to come here to Lampeter to study. I like living here, I chose to live here.” She further elaborated, “I’m mostly scared. Everything is up in the air and I’m anxious because I don’t want to leave.” Ben Lake, the Ceredigion Preseli MP, characterized the university as a “cornerstone” of the town, asserting that relocating courses to Carmarthen would constitute a “heavy blow”. Despite recognizing substantial financial strain on higher-education institutions, he stated that the university bore “a duty to explain how they intend to continue higher education in Lampeter”. Prof Elwen Evans, the university’s vice chancellor, is scheduled to convene with students later on Wednesday. Local businesses in the town, which has a population of approximately 3,000, have also voiced apprehension. Elfan James of Mark Lane Bakery predicted the relocation would be “disastrous” and negatively impact trade. He recalled the 1990s as the “good old days,” when roughly 1,500 students resided 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 confirmed it was commencing discussions regarding the proposals to transfer the humanities department to Carmarthen. It stated: “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.” The institution affirmed its commitment to preserving the Lampeter campus estate, indicating that its discussions would focus on how to best support students, staff, and the town while securing the institution’s long-term viability.