STAFF on an art and design course earmarked for closure at the University of South Wales (USW) are awaiting an imminent decision on whether the course will stay open.

USW announced last September that its Caerleon campus was to close, with teaching to finish at the site in summer 2016.

The art and design course’s five members of staff were informed not to recruit students for next year and their jobs are to go this summer.

The one-year foundation art and design course has been established in Newport for 50 years and around 50 students enrolled this year.

Staff on the course, including Charles Jeavons, the course's fine art lecturer; Charles Penwarden, the course leader; and lecturer Karen Head, met with the university's vice-chancellor, Professor Julie Lydon, on March 27 in a final bid to save the course.

Mr Jeavons, who has taught on the course for eight years, said: "It was a calm, reasonable meeting and we were trying to explain why it was such a bad decision.

“For a city with such history of art and design, it really is sad for Newport. The alternative in Cross Keys is too far for students in Gwent.

“Of course we realise that the university has difficult financial decisions to make, but the course is profitable and it supplies the university with a large number of degree students.

“We've written to the chancellor, Rowan Williams, and we will fight the closure until the end.”

More than 800 people signed a petition asking the university to reverse the decision and this was presented to the vice-chancellor, following a protest by the course’s students and staff at Newport city campus on March 20.

A decision from Professor Lydon on whether the course will stay open is expected imminently.

A USW spokesman previously said: “Foundation art and design is not a higher education course but a subject which is more commonly undertaken in further education colleges.

“As part of our strategic portfolio review the university has decided to focus the university’s provision at level four (higher education courses).

“The same course is also delivered locally by Coleg Gwent and indirectly the university’s withdrawal from this subject area will help secure the viability of foundation art and design in the region.

“This takes nothing away from the passion and dedication with which staff have delivered this course.

“We accept that this is disappointing news for them, but we will work with them to try and find an acceptable outcome at this difficult time.”