Cambridge trade unions have launched an open letter as part of their ‘Save the Veterinary School’ campaign, urging the University “not to pause Undergraduate admissions” and to focus on “financial investment in facilities and staffing”.

The open letter comes ahead of the University’s General Board meeting on 5 March to decide the vet course’s future.

Previous correspondence between the University’s Academic Secretary and the Department of Veterinary Medicine revealed that the Board is considering various options for the course amid accreditation and financial concerns.

These options include transferring students to another institution for their clinical years, fulfilling teaching requirements through partnerships with external “private sector” providers, or closing admissions to the Veterinary Medicine course to new entrants from 2026.

According to the open letter, the proposed actions “put over 160 jobs at risk, creating tremendous stress for staff and extreme anxiety for hundreds of current and future students”.

The letter also suggests that “the University’s lack of clear communication […] has left many students concerned about the implications for their future employability”.

Concerns over learning were also expressed, with a particular emphasis on students that may be considering intermission into a potentially non-existent year group.

Discussing the impact on students, co-presidents of the Cambridge University Veterinary Society (CUVS), Sarah Murphy and Emily Moon explained: “As a student body, we are committed to supporting our veterinary students as potential changes to the Vet School are being reported.”

“Understandably, this situation has raised concerns, particularly among the younger cohorts, and providing reassurance during these uncertain times is challenging,” they continued.

“However, we feel strongly supported in our education and deeply appreciate the inclusive and collaborative environment fostered within the Vet School,” they said, adding: “The standard of teaching we receive remains exceptional, and the Vet School is actively working to maintain this level of excellence.”

A joint statement released by the trade unions University of Cambridge Unite the Union, Unison University of Cambridge, and University of Cambridge UCU, noted that the British Veterinary Union in Unite has called the potential closure of the Vet School a “national mistake”.

The statement suggests that Cambridge is prioritising “profit-seeking” over education, stating: “Any University aiming to provide academic excellence should never be organised around profit-seeking principles, especially related to the privatisation of teaching provision through outsourcing to external providers.”

This comes after the revelation that the course is running at an unsustainable “recurrent deficit of more than £1M” amid a projected overall deficit of £53 million for the University in 2023/4.

The statement also claims that the Veterinary Department has been left out of the University Estate planning, which one source told Varsity is not the case with other University departments.

The UCU has voted to enter into dispute with the University should the General Board pause the veterinary course. The unions have also planned a rally on 4 March outside Great St. Mary’s Church ahead of the Board meeting “to demonstrate the scale of opposition to these changes from staff and students across the University.”

In the joint statement, they explain that “there is a widespread feeling within the Department that this [pausing undergraduate admissions] must not be allowed to go ahead,” suggesting alternative solutions to issues surrounding accreditation and the Department’s future.

According to the unions, the first step “is to allow continued Undergraduate admission, and to focus on financial investment in facilities and staffing to ensure the maintenance of the Department’s world class teaching and a return to Full Accreditation with the RCVS.”

A separate assessment focusing on the Department’s long-term success should then follow, they suggest.

Murphy and Moon stated that “at this time, we do not wish to issue a formal statement from CUVS regarding the General Board meeting.”

“However, we would like to express our full support for the Vet School’s ongoing efforts, and we are being kept well-informed about the situation,” they added.

The course has currently been graded with “conditional accreditation” from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons after failing to meet 50 out of 77 of its accreditation standards. The RCVS did note “strong research led and clinical teaching,” but unless the Department improves by the RCVS’s next visit in September 2025, it runs the risk of losing its accreditation entirely.

The University of Cambridge was contacted for comment.

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