The University of the Arts London (UAL) is taking legal action against its students staging an occupation against cuts to foundation courses in the main building of Central St Martins (CSM).

The university has named 15 students, including elected student union officers, and asked them to attend court, along with other unnamed students, on Tuesday 14 April. Hundreds of students

have joined the occupation at CSM since it began on Thursday 19 March, after the university announced cuts to its foundation courses. Under the plans, year-long foundation courses – which

prepare students for university-level art and design education – would be cut or merged at UAL's six colleges. A total of 580 places will be cut over the next two years, according to

She says: "I was not consulted whatsoever over huge changes to our courses; and now I have an injunction being brought against me for having the nerve to protest the cuts. "I

think this demonstrates the lack of respect UAL has for student opinion, and how little they care about our welfare. This whole process has been underhand, autocratic and put a lot of

students and staff under enormous stress." Daisy Latham, a fine art student at UAL, says: "The university have got their priorities completely wrong. Management's decision to

criminalise their own students shows that they would rather spend money repressing students who care about the future of education, than on further education courses which help so many

people access education who otherwise would not." In a statement, Stephen Marshall, the UAL's secretary and registrar, says the university is seeking to regain possession of its

campus "to prevent any further impact on students and staff as we head into the summer term". KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST ON GUARDIAN STUDENTS: FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AT @GDNSTUDENTS –

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