Three Welsh University’s merge in education shake-up.
A proposal to merge three Welsh institutions and leave South Wales with two major universities, including Cardiff University, has thrown the future of Cardiff Metropolitan, formally UWIC, into doubt. The plan, put forward by the Education Minister, Leighton Andrews will see a ÔÇÿsuperÔÇÖ university of over 40 000 students from Glamorgan University, the University of Wales, Newport and potentially Cardiff Metropolitan, with the aim of rivalling Cardiff University in itÔÇÖs capabilities to compete on a world stage.
However, Cardiff Metropolitan has been particularly opposed to the merge, details of which were unveiled in November last year. It is ranked higher than its potential merger partners in the Good University Guide, is financially sound, and possesses good international relations.
The merge has received a positive response from Glamorgan University and the University of Wales, Newport as it is set to give students more opportunities and benefit the economy. It ÔÇÿwill be designed to remain open for further expansion,ÔÇÖ and aims to ÔÇÿavoid institutional competition,ÔÇÖ as well as playing to the strengths of its component parts, according to the Education Minister.
Andrew Wilkinson, chair of the board of governors at the University of Wales, Newport, said: ÔÇÿThe governors of the University of Wales, Newport welcome this development as both institutions seek to build on their respective strengths to develop a new, entrepreneurial model of higher education across South Wales.ÔÇÖ
His counterpart at Glamorgan University, Professor John Andrews said: ÔÇÿThis is a good time for us to further develop the scale and range of our combined higher education across South Wales to create an institution that can compete not only in the UK but on a global basis.
The University of Wales, Newport and Glamorgan provide similar disciplines and serve the same demographic, yet Cardiff Metropolitan has cited that it is concerned that a combined institution of over 40 000 students could impact on provision and that it would be ÔÇÿunmanageable.ÔÇÖ
Cardiff Metropolitan has also expressed that it will seek legal action if forced to merge. In response, Leighton Andrews has said that he is keen for the merge to be voluntary, but will not hesitate in invoking the Education Reform Act 1988, which can force dissolution of post-1992 institutes.
Professor Sir Steve Smith, who compiled the report upon which Leighton Andrews based his decision, stated that Cardiff Metropolitan is ÔÇÿdangerously small,ÔÇÖ and could not survive the ÔÇÿmedium term without merger.ÔÇÖ
However, the Chairwoman of governors at Cardiff Metropolitan, Barbara Wilding has said they would be prepared to fight against an enforced merge at the High Court.
Moreover, Cardiff Metropolitan has the potential to go private, and thus avoid any public law that requires they agree to the merge. Instead, it would go without the £24m allocated by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, which is around 35% of their total income.
It has also emerged that a report advised ministers not to go ahead with the plan over four years ago. The leaked report, complied by a leading academic to investigate the potential for a merge, concluded that a full-scale one was ÔÇÿunrealistic at this time.ÔÇÖ
Despite concerns that courses, lecturers and assets may be lost in the merge, along with the chance of campus closure, the plan to begin merging Glamorgan University and the University of Wales, Newport could being as early as September next year. The Education Minister hopes that Cardiff Metropolitan will join by 2014, with the projection that all three will be working together by 2015.
However, with the threat of legal action from Cardiff Metropolitan, the future of the University and the completion of the merger remain in doubt.
Anna Hickman
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