Dumfries University of Glasgow degree battle stepped up

Students say the loss of the Liberal Arts degree would be a major blow to the Dumfries campus

Members of a student action group are stepping up their campaign to save the Liberal Arts degree at the University of Glasgow Crichton Campus in Dumfries.

The humanities course could be axed later this month in favour of environmental management studies.

Student representatives claimed the loss of the Liberal Arts degree would be a blow to Dumfries and Galloway.

However, the university said it was "carefully matching courses to local needs and national trends".

The move to cut the Liberal Arts degree is part of wider cost-reduction plans.

A final decision will be made by the university's court later this month.

Katy Ewing, a mature student on the Dumfries campus, said the course had been a vital educational lifeline for her.

"For me personally, I have a family, I am a mature student - I could not have gone away and studied at degree level anyway," she said.

"This was an amazing opportunity for me to study.

"It has changed my life, it has been really important to me personally."

She said one of the best parts of the degree was its flexibility.

"The humanities subjects are so core and the Liberal Arts degree is so transferable it's not like doing a vocational degree where you are locked into your path," she said.

"You are very employable after doing this degree."

Students have voiced concerns that lecturers could be lost and that people would have to leave the region if they wanted to pursue studies in the discipline.

More than 600 people have already signed a petition by the action group to save the Liberal Arts degree course.

A decision on its fate will be made at a meeting in three weeks' time.

A spokesperson for the University of Glasgow said: "Following an exhaustive and extensive consultation with all stakeholders, the university court will consider the recommendations in the report of the Liberal Arts consultation panel at its meeting on 22 June.

"The proposed changes at Dumfries Campus are in response to changing patterns of recruitment and the importance of carefully matching courses to local needs and national trends."