The University of Cambridge has recently decided to not close its veterinary medicine course following backlash from students and vet representatives.
The college’s general body reached this decision at a meeting on Monday (February 23), which discussed a recommendation to close the course.
This proposal was originally brought forward by the university’s School of Biological Sciences in December last year after several concerns about the course were raised and improvements demanded by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) in late 2024.
Several industry bodies, such as the National Farmers’ Union and the British Veterinary Association (BVA), wrote open letters to the university in opposition of the proposal following its submission.
BVA
In its open letter, the BVA warned that the closure would not only be a “profound gamble with public health and scientific excellence” but it would also jeopardise the supply of qualified vets.
BVA president, Dr. Rob Williams welcomed the university’s decision to not close its vet school.
He said: “A resilient veterinary workforce relies on a healthy pipeline of homegrown talent and the UK’s vet schools, including Cambridge, play a crucial role in this.
“However, whilst the decision is a step in the right direction, it’s essential the university commits to ensuring the school is appropriately resourced to preserve its vital role at the forefront of global health and scientific leadership, now and in the future.”
University of Cambridge
Major campaigning efforts were made in the last three months by students, including several on-campus protests and a campaign website ‘Save the Vet School’.
Commenting on the course continuing, the college’s Department of Veterinary Medicine stated it was “pleased and heartened” by the news, however noted that the situation has caused an “unprecedented” amount of stress for students and staff.
The Department of Veterinary Medicine said: “We sincerely hope that the university takes note of the multiple concerns raised about this process and the lack of transparency leading up to this outcome.
“We would not wish our colleagues in other departments to endure the same experience that our staff and students have been through.”
Meanwhile, the Cambridge Student Union (SU) also highlighted the “enormous unneccessary pressure” that this “fundamentally flawed” process has put on vet students and staff.
The Cambridge SU commented: “We believe students and staff deserve to see people held to account for the catastrophic way this has been handled up to this point.
“Whilst our attention is focused on supporting and protecting our vet students, it mustn’t be forgotten who caused this.
“Those members of the university administration that have enabled and encouraged these failures must now consider their positions,” the student union added.
