Nearly 200 students, staff, and trade union members gathered outside Senate House today (04/03) to protest a potential pause to the Cambridge Veterinary Medicine course.

Students stood in front of Senate House as part of the “save the Vet School” campaign ahead of a vote on the future of the Vet School, after it was revealed that it may lose its accreditation last year.

Campaigners held placards reading “No pause, yes to paws” and “Students and staff united for the Vet School,” with speakers emphasising the risk posed to “160 jobs” across the University if the Vet School closes.

Discussing potential job losses, co-president of the Cambridge University Veterinary Society (CUVS), Sarah Murphy, stated: “These are dedicated, passionate professionals who worked hard to make the Vet school what it is today. Our clinicians deliver world-class education and cutting-edge research that is shaping the future of Veterinary Medicine. Without them, the Vet school we have would not be the same.”

“We cannot and we will not stand by while these actions threaten our community. The General Board is not supporting the vet school. The General Board is not doing everything they can to secure our future, our mission,” she continued.

This comes ahead of the University’s General Board meeting tomorrow (05/03) which will decide whether undergraduate admissions will be paused from 2026 onwards.

In November, it was reported that the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) had graded the course with “conditional accreditation,” meaning that it runs the risk of losing its accreditation entirely unless the department improves by the RCVS’s next visit in September 2025. This means that students in the middle of their degrees could be transferred to other universities to see out their studies.

However, one staff member at the rally told Varsity that the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE), who also accredit the University’s vet course, conducted their own assessment of the course last week. They suggested that “the contrast between the RCVS’s report and the provisional report from the European Association is quite stark”.

This separate report recognised the improvements that have already been made and “commended” the Vet School on “many of the things that were not really understood by the RCVS recently”.

The staff member noted that this report has been a source of “positivity” for staff and students, stating: “I think for that positivity to continue, the University has to recognise our achievements over a long period of time […] and just give us that backing that we really desperately need.”

Last week, multiple trade unions issued an open letter urging the University “not to pause Undergraduate admissions” and to focus on “financial investment in facilities and staffing”. The open letter has since been backed by students and CUVS. At the rally, it was claimed by a UCU speaker that, since then, almost “a thousand students, staff and alumni” had signed the letter.

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

One staff member who teaches pre-clinical students told Varsity: “The uncertainty has been difficult, and so I think moving forwards clarity will be really, really helpful, and the sooner the better.” They emphasised the fact that prospective students “need clarity now, because they need to decide whether they want to accept their offers”.

“The whole concept of pausing the course is, in my opinion, ridiculous” as “the whole thing will just spiral,” they added.

Speaking on tomorrow’s decision, the Students’ Union undergraduate president, Sarah Anderson said: “Tomorrow, the General Board will decide whether to admit another year of vet students – or hit pause. But once they pause it, it might not be so easy to press play again.”

Anderson stated that veterinary students “are an essential part of this academic community” but that “Cambridge isn’t showing them that it has their back”.

Addressing the General Board directly, she added: “You have a choice. You can invest in this course, support its staff, support its students, and secure the future of veterinary medicine at Cambridge. Or you can take the easy way out, shut the doors, and let it fail. But know this – it will not fail without a fight, and we the students will stand side by side with them.”

After the rally, Professor Paul Freeman, Principal Clinical Neurologist at the Department of Veterinary Medicine, told Varsity: “People are very up and down. There’s a huge feeling of uncertainty. Nobody really knows the direction that the vet school is heading or trying to head. And I have to say, coming here today is the most positive that I’ve felt for a while.

“I was going to say we have to trust in the powers that be, but I think we don’t trust the powers that be, unfortunately. So we have to keep fighting, don’t we? I guess in the end maybe they will listen to this kind of thing – that’s what we have to hope,” he continued.

Members from multiple unions, including the Cambridge University and College Union (UCU), Unite, and Unison spoke at the rally, reiterating concerns that the University was prioritising profit over students and that the changes are premature and unjustified. Speakers, including Helen Stern from the RSPCA’s Cambridge branch, collectively called on the University to invest in veterinary education.

Ivan Williams, the Cambridge Unison branch chair, told Varsity: “It’s a decision that could have a very long term impact going forward and it shouldn’t be rushed for the sake of short term views on the ballot. To throw [the vet school] away, which is something that would be very hard to get back, is leaving all those students in limbo, not knowing where they are going to be studying.”

The University of Cambridge has been contacted for comment.