East Derry MLA Hunter says UU staff and students ‘are being left feeling abandoned’
SDLP representatives have met with Ulster University Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Bartholomew following the university’s announcement last month that up to 450 jobs could be lost.
During the meeting East Derry MLA Cara Hunter and Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin sought urgent clarity on the impact the proposed cuts will have on staff, students and the future direction of the university, with particular concern raised about the long-term future of the Magee and Coleraine campuses.
The SDLP representatives said the scale of the proposed losses reflected a deepening crisis in university funding and warned that "communities across the North would pay the price if the higher education sector continued to be neglected”.
Cara Hunter MLA said: “There is enormous anxiety across the Coleraine campus and throughout the wider university community. Staff who have dedicated years to supporting students are now fearful for their futures, while students themselves are deeply concerned about the impact these cuts could have on their education and campus life.
“Coleraine is hugely important to the North Coast, educationally, economically and socially. The university sustains local jobs, supports local businesses and gives so many young people the opportunity to study close to home.
“I left this meeting deeply concerned about the long-term consequences continued underfunding could have for campuses like Coleraine. Once courses, expertise and opportunities are lost, rebuilding them is incredibly difficult.
“Universities should be places of ambition, innovation and opportunity. Instead, staff and students are being left feeling abandoned. The Executive cannot continue ignoring the pressures facing our universities and expect the situation to improve on its own.”