Crisis meeting over university campus closure

Staff and students affected by the impending closure of a university campus have held a crisis meeting with local politicians.

The Southend campus of the University of Essex is set to close at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year due to financial pressures, with 800 students moving to the university's Colchester campus and 400 jobs affected.

One of the staff at the meeting, lecturer Aaron Wyllie, told the BBC he did not know what the future held for him, while the city's council leader said there had been "a huge lack of engagement" from the university's management.

The university said it had been in "continuous discussions" with students and staff, and closing the campus was "an incredibly difficult decision".

The BBC understands more than 50 people met privately with local MPs and the city council leader on Monday to discuss their concerns.

Wyllie, programme lead for the university's division of social work and social justice, said after the meeting: "We haven't always had a lot of information about what's happening from our university management."

Wyllie recalled how he and other staff were told about the closure in December during a lunchtime meeting - as well as potentially being made redundant - before having to break the news to his students less than half an hour later.

The 34-year-old, who has lectured at the university since 2018, said a number of students "unfortunately won't be able to continue their studies" due to financial and logistical difficulties transferring to the Colchester campus.

"It's a very disempowering period of time... but it's also not just our institution, it's institutions around the country," he said.

"This is one of the only employers that is not local government or a high street shop - there are no employers here [in Southend]," he added.

"[I] will probably end up moving areas because it's not workable, and other families will do the same, so the effect on the community and my family is also quite significant."

Monday's meeting was chaired by the leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council, Daniel Cowan [Labour and Co-operative Party], alongside local Labour MPs Bayo Alaba and David Burton-Sampson.

Cowan said he felt angry "for how [the university has] treated the city of Southend".

"The staff there do not feel like they're being engaged with on an appropriate basis in any way whatsoever," he told the BBC.

He said the council was still talking to alternative higher education providers which might be able to continue a university presence in Southend in the future, but added "that's very much plan B".

"I think that they have come to a conclusion without showing any workings, which wouldn't be acceptable for students in academia," he said.

Cowan also said the timeframe was too rushed, adding that "people are having to make long-term decisions with weeks".

Councillor Paul Collins, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Southend City Council, said the closure of the campus was "devastating" for the city, describing it as "a backwards step" for the youth of the city.

The BBC has approached the other parties on the city council for comment.

When the closure was announced in December, the university said the number of academic posts was being reduced by about 200 this academic year, and about 200 professional service roles would also be cut over the next two years.

Following Monday's meeting, the university said its discussions with students and staff "will continue over the coming months".

"Our priority for affected students is to ensure that they all have the information and support they need to make informed decisions about their future," a spokesperson told the BBC.

They added that they had met privately with MPs regarding the closure, and the city council about the future of the university's buildings.

"Closing the Southend campus this summer was an incredibly difficult decision, which we only took after reviewing all reasonable alternatives and was a decision we could never have previously imagined," the spokesperson said.

"Our work within Southend, including outreach into schools and supporting businesses through innovation and research, will continue."

"We're taking decisive steps towards a sustainable future by concentrating research and education on two campuses and reducing staff numbers to more closely match a lower student population," they concluded.

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.