Students will step up cuts protest ahead of court vote

Students have vowed to intensify their campaign against proposed course cuts at Glasgow University. The university court will make a final decision on the future of courses and research projects on June 22.

And campaigners have planned four weeks of protests before a march on the court on the day it meets to vote.

In February university bosses announced £20 million of cuts to courses, including modern languages, nursing and the Department of Adult and Continuing Education (DACE).

The move sparked fury from students and academics and led to a 3000-strong demonstration on University Avenue.

Spokeswoman for the anti-cuts campaign, Suzanne Ross, said students feel university principal Anton Muscatelli is ignoring their concerns and say they will call for his resignation if the proposed cuts go ahead.

She said: “If Mr Muscatelli proceeds with these cuts we will demand his resignation. It is clear that he does not care about the welfare of students.”

Faced with opposition from students and lecturers, Archaeology, Classical Studies and language courses were saved.

DACE will now remain open but will be privatised and Nursing has been given a one-year reprieve.

Social Work, Humanities at Crichton Campus in Dumfries, Slavonic Studies and Scottish Training on Drugs and Alcohol (STRADA) are still facing the axe.

Mr Muscatelli has warned the university is facing a major cash crisis and will run out of money by 2013 unless action is taken.

The suggested cutbacks are designed to save £20m by 2014.

Meanwhile, students at the University of Strathclyde are to hold a march today to protest against proposed course closures.

Strathclyde is planning to axe courses in music, education, geography and sociology to save £750,000 from its Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The march, which will finish with a rally in Rottenrow Gardens, will bring together students and lecturers.