'Councillors must not favour one department over university cuts'

COUNCILLORS have been warned not to be seen to favour one university department over another when it comes to cuts.

After Aberystwyth University vice-chancellor Prof Elizabeth Treasure warned of cuts that will reach £11.4m over the next two years, several departments are facing staffing and budget cuts, but calls were made for no job losses in the Welsh and Celtic studies department.

In a heated debate last week, Cllr Charlie Kingsbury warned his fellow town councillors to be “cautious” in how the town council is seen across the various university departments.

Former councillor Jeff Smith, who recently completed his PhD at Aberystwyth University, wrote a letter to the council expressing his concern about cuts to the department of Welsh and Celtic studies.

Cllr Mark Strong said: “Elizabeth Treasure came in and we asked her for guarantees and, as far as I can remember, she was quite firm in her response that there would not be cuts to the department.

“What we have now is the opposite of what she said.”

Cllr Talat Chaudhri said he was under the impression that of the two and a half full-time equivalent teaching posts in the department, two would remain.

“It is still a cut, but not as bad as expected,” said Cllr Chaudhri.

Cllr Charlie Kingsbury said that, while he was concerned for the future of the department, the town council must not be seen to favour one department over another.

“The vice-chancellor is trying to shrink certain departments and I would be very cautious not to favour one department over another,” said Cllr Kingsbury.

“We cannot say ‘cuts here are completely unacceptable but here it is not’."

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