S.O.S - SAVE OUR SUBJECTS!
DEFEND EDUCATION - STOP THE VICE-CHANCELLORS CUTS -
OUR UNIVERSITY - OUR COMMUNITY - OUR EDUCATION

Emergency mass demonstration called by trade unions, staff and students.
Monday 18 May at 4 pm onwards
outside Main Building, Cardiff University, Park Place

Cardiff University has announced a proposal to close most of the subject areas in one of its oldest and most respected departments, only months after publishing a book detailing its history and extolling it virtues. Marian Williams’ A History of Lifelong Learning at Cardiff University, details the 125 year history of the university's provision of part-time classes throughout south-east Wales as part of a commitment that dates back to the original royal charter that established the university. 140 staff face losing jobs.

Cardiff Centre for Life Long Learning provides the opportunity for students of all ages and backgrounds to access higher education irrespective of any previous qualifications. The centre currently runs hundreds of evening and weekend classes in a variety of subjects in both Cardiff and across the whole of South East Wales; from Brecon in the north, Porthcawl in the west and as far as Caldicot and Monmouth in the east.

If the proposal is implemented then this will radically reduce the Centre, scrapping its entire humanities provision, this includes literature, history, archaeology, music, creative writing, philosophy, art history, religion, photography and Welsh.

The closure of the Centre will leave a huge hole in education provision for the region with hundreds of adult learners unable to complete their studies and to for fill their potential. Neither senior academic staff at the Centre, or representatives of the part time tutors and student groups were consulted before the announcement before Monday the 20th of April.

The proposal places a question over the commitment of Cardiff University towards community engagement and indeed the value of humanities as a whole. Essentially the provision is being devastated of the basis of economic projections and not the viability of current provision. This decision comes at a time when Life Long Learning across the HE section is being decimated throughout the UK by universities looking for cut costs, flying in the face of government commitments to provide opportunities for retraining during the deepest recession in decades.

Things you can do to help!

Sign the petition:

 http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savelifelonglearning/

Write to the Vice-Chancellor!
If the proposed cuts affect you, then tell the university authorities. If you want to start at the top then write to the V-C. Dr. David Grant’s email address is
 V-C@Cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone 02920 874835

Dr. David Grant,
Vice-Chancellor,
Cardiff University
Main Building
Park Place
Cardiff
CF10 3AT

Write to Jane Hutt!
Jane Hutt AM is the Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills.

Contact Jane Hutt by email at:  Correspondence.Jane.Hutt@wales.gsi.gov.uk
or write to

Jane Hutt AM
Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning
Welsh Assembly Government
5th Floor
Ty Hywel
Cardiff Bay
CF99 1NA