Budget cuts are ripping the heart out of our college - principal

Simon Hewitt is the principal of Dundee and Angus College

The principal of Dundee and Angus College says annual budget cuts are ripping the heart out of the institution.

The college faces £2.5m of cuts this financial year, including potentially closing its sporting campus in Arbroath.

Staff and students marched from Arbroath to the college's Gardyne campus in Dundee at the weekend calling for greater funding from the Scottish government.

The government said it was committed to the country's colleges and that talks would take place with principal Simon Hewitt about the specific issues at Dundee and Angus.

A recent Audit Scotland report said the college sector had experienced a 20% real terms cut in funding over the last five years.

Staff and students walked from the Arbroath to Dundee campuses to call for greater funding

A separate report from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) in September said most Scottish further education colleges faced unsustainable losses over the next three years.

The SFC distributes funds for Scottish students on behalf of the Scottish government.

Its grant accounts for more than three-quarters (77%) of further education colleges' income, compared with 24% in the university sector last year.

Dundee and Angus College has about 15,000 students and 1,000 staff across its two campuses in Dundee and one in Arbroath.

It delivers full-time, part-time and work-based courses in areas including hospitality, accounting, performing arts and business.

It also currently delivers sports provision at the Saltire Centre in Arbroath, which it leases from Angus Council.

The college has three campuses, including Gardyne in Dundee

College principal Simon Hewitt said the institution was now on its fourth savings plan in five years and all areas of the college had been affected.

He said the college had been "massively successful" over the last decade but was now starting to feel the strain.

"We felt that the college had got itself a good position. We were looking outward, we were looking forward, we were putting forward solutions in terms of how we could be things differently," he said.

"It feels we're right back to square one again, unfortunately."

Mr Hewitt said the latest savings proposal had included the support side and academic sites.

"There's been a reduction in provision across a whole range of academic departments," he said.

"All that's really doing is continually trying to effectively rip the heart out of what the college is."

Proposed cuts include stopping sport provision at the Saltire Centre in Arbroath and moving it to Gardyne in Dundee, and reducing the number of courses due to start in January.

Sports coaching and fitness lecturer Alan Millar said there is a "constant fear" of job cuts.

Mr Hewitt said that 96% of Dundee and Angus College students were from the local area.

"Whenever they finish their course, it's the local economy that benefits. Colleges are rooted in their communities," he added.

"If you start to damage the provision and the opportunities in the college sector, you start to damage your regional economy.

"The whole system needs reviewed and how we allocate funds in different ways needs to be looked at."

A decision on the proposed Saltire Centre withdrawal and other suggested savings will take place next month.

Sports coaching and fitness lecturer Alan Millar, who has worked at the college for 18 years, said there was a "constant fear" of job cuts.

The college also provides sporting provision at the Saltire Centre in Arbroath

"If that (Saltire Centre) campus goes, that's 100 students that we're losing. We're losing six courses which, for that region, is a horrible situation to be in," he said.

"But we're trying everything we can to try and negotiate with the council to not have that happen.

"At the moment, depending on the funding situation with the government, we could be losing four members of staff in our department alone, which is very worrying."

Mr Millar said that following previous rounds of cuts "all that's left now is courses and staff".

He said: "It's disappointing that we now have to think about what courses are we going to cut. That then leads to staff having to be cut as well.

"We're not getting the funding to meet rising costs and inflation.

"We just want to be able to provide that opportunity for students and we don't feel like we can do that at the moment with the current funding models that the government are giving us."

Gordon Weir is studying physical activity and health following a 37-year career in finance

Gordon Weir, 59, took early retirement after working in finance for almost 40 years, and is now doing an HND in physical activity and health at the college.

He said: "I want to work with older people in my community in fitness and health, and I couldn't have done that without coming to college.

"So the college has opened the door for me to change my career in a positive way that supports society going forward."

He said that college had given him the opportunity to mix with people from different backgrounds, "some of whom didn't do well at school".

He said: "This has given them a second chance, and they're thriving in the college environment.

"I think it would be such a shame if these opportunities closed down.

"It's a different world to the one I grew up in, and I think there are less opportunities available for young people.

"Colleges are one of the last remaining places that are very welcoming to them and will open doors and develop them into becoming really useful productive members of society."

Higher and Further Education Minister Ben Macpherson said the sector faced a number of challenges

The Scottish government's Higher and Further Education Minister Ben Macpherson said he was aware that the college sector faced a number of challenges.

He said he would be talking to Mr Hewitt this week about the specific issues being faced by Dundee and Angus College.

"The Scottish government is committed to our colleges and earlier this month confirmed we will support the college support staff pay deal that was reached between trade unions and sector," he said.

Mr Macpherson said it would be providing an extra £1.69m this financial year, followed by an additional £3.3m next financial year.

"We deeply value the contribution of all our colleges to communities across the country, and the Scottish economy, and we are determined to work closely and collaboratively with the sector to ensure it is successful and sustainable," he added.