Falmouth University has sparked protests among thousands of people in the arts community over plans to close three of its courses.

The institution believes that a degree in contemporary crafts is the university¡¯s ¡°most costly¡± and is no longer sustainable without cross-subsidy from other subject areas.

A petition to save the course has almost 7,000 signatures. The petition states that the contribution of graduates from the course to the cultural development of the UK ¡°cannot be measured on a spreadsheet¡±.

Matthew Tyas, a final-year PhD student in the department, said closure will lead to a ¡°contraction of the craft economy¡±. He added that the department was shocked and confused because the course had achieved its recruitment targets for the current academic year.

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A memo to staff from senior deputy vice-chancellor Geoff Smith, which has been posted on the campaign¡¯s Facebook page, lists three courses the university plans to suspend recruitment to, with immediate effect. The other two are a theatre course and a digital media programme.

A petition against the closure of the theatre course, which the university says has declining application rates and has ¡°underperformed¡± on student satisfaction, has also attracted thousands of signatures.

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In the memo, Professor Smith says contemporary crafts is Falmouth¡¯s ¡°most costly and space-intensive¡± subject, with ¡°a relatively low graduate-level employability rate¡±.

¡°We cannot maintain the course¡¯s heavy space utilisation and intensely process-led curriculum without significant cross-subsidy from other subject areas ¨C something we are not prepared to do,¡± he writes. He adds that applications to crafts courses are declining nationwide.

Instead, the university will invest in new departments such as architecture and gaming, and will boost courses in entrepreneurship.

In a statement, the institution said: ¡°Like all well managed universities, Falmouth keeps its course portfolio under active review to ensure that it¡¯s appealing to applicants, prepares students for great careers in the global creative industries and is financially sustainable.¡±

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holly.else@tesglobal.com