Those opposed to the possible axing of the Falmouth University's arts foundation course will be holding a protest against the move next Tuesday lunchtime.

Over 100 past and present graduates of Falmouth's diploma in art and design as well as many others concerned by the proposal are expected on The Moor in Falmouth next Tuesday, May 9 at 1pm.

The group organising the event Falmouth Against the Cuts hope as many people as possible turn up for the protest.

Last year Falmouth University announced it was shutting its foundation course in art and design for at least one year, due to it being “expensive to run”.

The diploma is one of the university's longest running courses, established by Falmouth College of Arts in the 1960s.

The university decided to suspend the course for the academic year 2017/2018, “in the best interests of the university and our students”, according to the university’s director of communications Robert Hillier.

Speaking last year he said: “For some time, the Foundation Diploma, which is expensive to run, has been subsidised by other courses,” he said.

“Further education funding is facing greater reductions over the next five years, and as a result, we anticipate that course will need more subsidies. This means taking money from other students’ tuition fees.”

The university has been holding a consultation process to decide whether the course will be closed permanently or whether it will reopen.

Students, designers and others have already protested against the closure by signing an online petition to save the foundation course, started by Falmouth graduate Lily M. So far 7,146 people have signed it. 

She wrote: “Education in the arts is becoming increasingly downtrodden.

“A foundation course can be essential to creative students before heading into undergraduate education – it allows a year to…explore practices that may be restricted during an A-Level.”

She goes on to say that the course is cheaper for Cornwall-based creative students who can’t afford to move elsewhere in the country or “jump straight into a degree”.

She also expresses concern around potential staff redundancies which could result from the closure of the course. 

The university expects to reach a decision this month on whether to permanently close the course or reopen it for 2018.