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Swansea Met and Trinity Saint David join as Cardiff Met fights own merger plan Swansea Met and Trinity Saint David join as Cardiff Met fights own merger plan
(about 1 hour later)
As two Welsh universities join under a scheme to promote closer working relationships another fights plans for it to merge with two others.As two Welsh universities join under a scheme to promote closer working relationships another fights plans for it to merge with two others.
Swansea Metropolitan University and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David have agreed to unite.Swansea Metropolitan University and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David have agreed to unite.
But Cardiff Metropolitan University claims it is being asked to merge with Newport and Glamorgan without a proper business case.But Cardiff Metropolitan University claims it is being asked to merge with Newport and Glamorgan without a proper business case.
The education minister says there needs to be fewer universities in Wales.The education minister says there needs to be fewer universities in Wales.
Leighton Andrews has also said it was vital for universities to build their strengths through greater commitment to collaboration, partnership and merger.Leighton Andrews has also said it was vital for universities to build their strengths through greater commitment to collaboration, partnership and merger.
University of Wales Trinity Saint David was itself formed out of a merger between Trinity University College, Carmarthen, and the University of Wales Lampeter, Ceredigion. They joined forces in 2010.University of Wales Trinity Saint David was itself formed out of a merger between Trinity University College, Carmarthen, and the University of Wales Lampeter, Ceredigion. They joined forces in 2010.
Under the new merger, the Swansea Met brand will remain, but it will come under the umbrella of Trinity Saint David.Under the new merger, the Swansea Met brand will remain, but it will come under the umbrella of Trinity Saint David.
The new university will have up to 13,000 students.The new university will have up to 13,000 students.
Business caseBusiness case
Elsewhere, the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wales, Newport, said in July they would merge.Elsewhere, the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wales, Newport, said in July they would merge.
The merger plans also include Cardiff Metropolitan University, but on Thursday it claimed Leighton Andrews was asking it to unite with Newport and Glamorgan without a proper business case.The merger plans also include Cardiff Metropolitan University, but on Thursday it claimed Leighton Andrews was asking it to unite with Newport and Glamorgan without a proper business case.
Cardiff Metropolitan University said it was considering referring the education minister's plans to force it to merge with two other universities to spending watchdogs.Cardiff Metropolitan University said it was considering referring the education minister's plans to force it to merge with two other universities to spending watchdogs.
Its board of governors believes that after a year of requesting to see the business case, it may not exist.Its board of governors believes that after a year of requesting to see the business case, it may not exist.
They are considering making a report to the assembly's public accounts committee - which scrutinises Welsh government expenditure - about "the manner in which the minister's office has behaved in this process with public money".They are considering making a report to the assembly's public accounts committee - which scrutinises Welsh government expenditure - about "the manner in which the minister's office has behaved in this process with public money".
Chair Barbara Wilding said the board would also speak with the auditor general for Wales about how it was being asked to make changes without a business case.Chair Barbara Wilding said the board would also speak with the auditor general for Wales about how it was being asked to make changes without a business case.
On Friday, she told BBC Radio Wales governors would consider a merger if it was to benefit education provision and did not reduce choice of courses, the loss of hundreds of jobs and the closure of campuses.
"Any merger normally results in a reduction somewhere but, the point of this is, the gap between how much it is going to cost and how much is available could be very large indeed."
She said it was important to see a business case for the merger before further consideration could be given.
£100m
"The bottom line is we have a minister we believe has entered a legal process without knowing how much it is going to cost, how much the taxpayer of Wales is going to have to pay and what are the risks" she said.
"This would be the most complex merger in higher education in the United Kingdom.
"And having looked at those other mergers and how much they have cost to be successful... you are talking somewhere in the region of £100m."
A Welsh government spokesperson said that the Wales Audit Office was "well aware" of the issues to do with reconfiguration in higher education in south east Wales.A Welsh government spokesperson said that the Wales Audit Office was "well aware" of the issues to do with reconfiguration in higher education in south east Wales.
It said that following a Wales Audit Office report in 2009, the assembly audit committee - the predecessor to the public accounts committee - concluded the Welsh government and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales needed to encourage better collaboration with universities.It said that following a Wales Audit Office report in 2009, the assembly audit committee - the predecessor to the public accounts committee - concluded the Welsh government and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales needed to encourage better collaboration with universities.
"We'll take all responses to the consultation extremely seriously," the spokesperson added."We'll take all responses to the consultation extremely seriously," the spokesperson added.