Union critical of courses closure

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Union leaders have criticised a decision to axe around 100 mostly part-time jobs and 250 humanities courses at a lifelong learning centre.

The University and College Union Wales (UCU) said it was the wrong approach to take during a recession.

Cardiff University's council said the cuts were designed to secure the future of the Centre for Lifelong Learning.

Around 50 humanities courses will be brought back in early 2010 in an entirely new trial programme.

Campaigners against the cuts have said the value of the courses could not be measured in terms of economic benefits.

UCU chairman Peter Jones said: "What we are losing is a community resource - this is going to affect individuals and families and their communities in the whole of Wales at a time of recession when we should be doing more teaching and learning.

"If you lose 250 courses and come up with a trial of 50 courses there is no guarantee that you are going to have the breadth and quality of the kind of courses you had beforehand.

The university hopes that all parties will now recognise that united action is the best way to secure the future of the centre Cardiff University council spokesman

"We need all kinds of vocational and academic courses to help us out of this recession - education helps everybody."

The centre currently offers 700 courses to adult learners in 100 centres across south Wales.

The courses to be cut include photography, Welsh, archaeology, history of art and creative writing.

It is expected the decision will affect mainly tutors who teach less than 50 hours a year.

Originally the university had planned to cut all of its humanities teaching and the council maintained this was still the most financially viable option.

But it said it was willing to underwrite some initial financial risk in order to produce a sustainable academic programme.

New teaching roles should become available with the new programme in 2010 and "considerable efforts" were ongoing to redeploy staff, said the council.

The centre's courses in science, the environment, computer studies, social studies and foreign languages will continue.

Cardiff University runs the lifelong learning centre.

Course fees will also be reviewed to bring them in line with similar ones offered in south Wales.

In April, the university said it was prompted to make plans to cut staff and subjects because of new working terms for all its hourly paid staff.

Since then the proposals have been out for consultation and council said it was grateful to campaigners for their "considered contributions".

A spokesman for the university council said: "The university hopes that all parties will now recognise that united action is the best way to secure the future of the centre, at a time when lifelong learning provision is coming under pressure across the UK."

Professor Terry Threadgold, Pro Vice-Chancellor, said the decision recognised a strong commitment to maintaining the centre's humanities teaching.

"The current business model is just not workable as it stands," she said.

Campaign group Save Our Subjects protested as members of the university council met to make their decision on Monday.