Uwic leaves University of Wales and joins Met set

The institution said that it would change its name to Cardiff Metropolitan University and award its own degrees.

Barbara Wilding, chair of UWIC’s board of governors, said: “The board...has determined that there is a pressing need to now invoke our own degree-awarding powers and to adopt the new name, thereby signalling nationally and internationally our departure from the University of Wales.

“This university has been integral to the city since 1865. We look forward to a bright future under the new ‘Cardiff Metropolitan University’ name as a strong, student-centred university focused on the economic, social and cultural well-being of Cardiff and South East Wales.”

Glyndwr University applied to withdraw from the University of Wales alliance and award its own degrees in late September.

The University of Wales has been rocked by revelations last week that staff at a college at which it validated degrees had offered to sell qualifications to an undercover reporter as part of a visa scam.

The Welsh education secretary Leighton Andrews said on BBC radio this morning that the university “probably requires a decent burial”.

“I made a statement to the Assembly earlier this week saying that the Welsh government was very concerned about the University of Wales and the damage it is causing to the reputation both [of] higher education in Wales and of the country around the world,” he said.

david.matthews@tsleducation.com