Campaigners have taken to the streets to protest against plans to wind down a university campus in Wales which now hosts just 197 full-time students. Campaigners blame a lack of investment and are calling for a rethink over plans by University of Wales Trinity St David's (UWTSD) to relocate its remaining undergraduate courses at Lampeter to its campus in Carmarthen in September 2025.
The university, which has campuses at three main sites in Swansea as well as Carmarthen and Lampeter, wishes to wind down its operations at the Lampeter campus because it says it doesn't make financial sense to continue teaching there. UWTSD said in 2022/23 it posted a financial deficit of £11m while it now hosts a cohort of just 197 full-time students in Lampeter, 92 of which are undergraduates.
Some locals say the moving of the courses could have a devastating impact on the town, while some students have said they wouldn't have moved to Lampeter had they known they'd be moved away during their courses. For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter.
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It's a far cry from Lampeter's rich educational history. The first university college founded in Wales and England since Oxford and Cambridge, Lampeter was founded in 1822 and became renowned for its reputation for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching of English, archaeology, classics, history, theology, philosophy, anthropology and creative writing.
In a statement the university said while the proposals are to transfer courses to Carmarthen the Lampeter campus estate would not close and alternative ways of delivering education would be found to give the campus a "new lease of life". They added: "Despite a range of innovative ideas to develop new courses to attract a larger number of students to our Lampeter campus these have not delivered. There has been a steady decline in the number of students being taught in-person. Operationally the Lampeter campus costs us about £2.7m per year to run and the backlog maintenance and compliance costs for the campus are estimated at £33.5m."
The news of further courses moving away from Lampeter haven't gone down well with Lampeter residents and alumni. Over one hundred marched in protest through the town from the rugby club to the campus with banners and placards which read: "Save Lampeter campus." Others read: "Cofiwch 1822."
A petition published by the Lampeter Society - made up of Lampeter alumni - now calls for a "viable, sustainable plan for the long-term future of the Lampeter campus". It was been signed by more than 3,000 people. It reads: "Lampeter is not only Wales's oldest university institution but a pillar of its educational and cultural history. By allowing undergraduate teaching to end, UWTSD would undermine the very essence of Lampeter's mission, weaken the local economy, and sever its historic role as a centre of learning. The town of Lampeter, the alumni community, and the people of Wales deserve better.
"We urge UWTSD and the Welsh Government to halt the planned end of undergraduate teaching at Lampeter and instead work with all stakeholders to create a viable, sustainable plan for the campus. This must include a serious investment in new courses, marketing, and student recruitment efforts to ensure Lampeter's relevance and appeal for future generations."
Earlier this month Elin Jones, the MS for Ceredigion, called on the Welsh Government to step in. "Undergraduate teaching is the cornerstone of any university's purpose. Without it Lampeter would cease to be a university town. It's disastrous and I am urging the Welsh Government, with the university, even at this eleventh hour, to come up with an alternative plan for this campus."
Ceredigion MP Ben Lake said: "There is no doubt that higher education institutions across the UK are facing significant challenges, but it is essential that every possible option to retain the Lampeter university campus is pursued. Given its importance to the local economy, in addition to its proud heritage as the birthplace of higher education in Wales, it is more than appropriate for the Welsh Government to intervene to offer the university support to preserve and revitalize the campus in Lampeter."
A government spokeswoman said: "We recognise that Welsh universities are under significant financial pressure. Medr (Commission for Tertiary Education and Research in Wales) continues to monitor the financial position of our universities closely, and the minister for further and higher education is meeting with Medr and with university leaders regularly."