Student sit-in over planned cuts at Aberystwyth

Students at the sit-in in Aberystwyth

Students are staging their second sit-in in two months in a protest against what they claim are planned cuts at Aberystwyth University.

Aber Students Against The Cuts said they had occupied two lecture theatres after a demonstration on Tuesday.

Aberystwyth Guild of Students has said cuts will compromise the quality of teaching and learning.

The university said a peaceful protest was taking place in one lecture theatre and classes were continuing unaffected.

On Tuesday, following a student march through the town, Vice-Chancellor Prof Noel Lloyd said the university had not received details of its grant for the next academic year.

The latest protest, against proposed cuts to societies and student support funding, follows a "teach-in" last December where Aber Students Against The Cuts occupied a lecture theatre to campaign against increased tuition fees in England.

Student housing

A spokesman for the student protesters said: "Students and education workers have reoccupied Aberystwyth University to protest the ongoing marketisation of our universities.

"The lecture theatres A12 and A14 were occupied following a demonstration on February 22 against proposed cuts to societies and student support funding.

"More than 600 students and education workers marched in solidarity and stormed the university council to disrupt a meeting of senior management. This resulted in various concessions by management in relation to student housing and highlights the importance of continued resistance on our campuses, and in our towns and cities."

Rebecca Davies, Pro Vice-Chancellor for student and staff services, said the university was "committed to maintaining the excellent student experience at Aberystwyth University".

She added: "We understand the strength of feeling about the changes taking place in higher education at the moment.

"We received a letter from the student guild members of the university's finance and general purposes committee this week and we will be responding fully in due course. We will continue to work closely with the student guild, along with our staff and council members, to help shape the future of the university on a sustainable basis."

Aberystwyth Vice-Chancellor Prof Noel Lloyd had said on Tuesday said the university had not yet received the details of its grant for the next academic year from the funding council.