Ambleside students will fight on despite academics decision

4:45pm Monday 21st December 2009

By Daniel Orr

PROTESTERS against a plan to ‘mothball’ South Lakeland’s only university have vowed to fight on despite bosses agreeing to press ahead with their intentions to slash its £8.4 million trading deficit.

The University of Cumbria’s academic board met for the first time since changes to the use of the Ambleside campus were proposed and decided that amid the worldwide recession, it had too much estate and cannot support the duplication of facilities.

The two-year-old organisation says it is “committed to ensuring disruption is kept to a minimum” and a plan of action to move 600 students to Carlisle, Penrith or Lancaster will be drawn up before February.

But campaign leader Tim Farron, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP, says he will keep fighting to save the historic Charlotte Mason College and the jobs of 140 staff which could be at risk.

Mr Farron, who handed over his 3,000-strong petition to the university, said: “Our task now is to work hard and lobby the decision makers who are not University of Cumbria staff.

“I am committed to working with the students and keeping undergraduates at the historic Charlotte Mason College. We may have lost a battle but I am determined that with the community we will win the war.”

Outdoor studies pupil William King, based at Ambleside, said many of his fellow students were considering leaving the University of Cumbria altogether.

“Outdoor studies students will still fight to keep the course in Ambleside,” he said. “No details have been released about what is happening with our course but I think if it does get moved, most people will apply to other universities. The learning experience would be massively different at another campus.”

Following the board meetings, vice chancellor Peter McCaffery said: "We understand that this is a tough time for both our staff and students, however to do nothing we will flounder.

“When our original plans were drawn up we were living in a period of growth, but things have now changed. We are a new model university and we just can't have a full campus in every single, town, village or community across the region.

“We have to do what is right for the university as an entity. No courses will be changed. We will move forward with planning for the implementation of these proposals."

Mr McCaffery said some undergraduate students would still use Ambleside facilities - but would not be based there.

Feedback gathered during the three-month consultation period, which began on December 1, will be presented to the academic board meeting in February when a final decision will be made.