(in the University of Wales)'. This was despite the fact that its own Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research, Professor Robert Brown, was also one of the most senior figures in the University of Wales, serving as a member of the University of Wales Council. In December 2011 the newly established Cardiff Metropolitan University rejected the plans of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales for the future structure of Wales' universities which proposed merging it with the universities of Glamorgan and Newport to form the UK's largest higher education institution. Pressure on Cardiff Met to merge continued to mount throughout 2011 and 2012, however, in line with Leighton Andrews' controversial Higher Education agenda. This included a plan to create a new super-university of 45,000 students in the Welsh Valleys, involving the University of Glamorgan, the University of Wales, Newport, and Cardiff Metropolitan. Newport had already agreed to merger plans put forward by Glamorgan, although it was described as a 'bilateral arrangement' with neither institution technically taking precedence. This merger plan left open the possibility of a third university becoming involved, which was recognised as a reference to Cardiff Met's position. Cardiff Metropolitan continued to oppose a merger with its neighbours, citing the lack of a business case, concerns that the new institution (which would be the largest campus university in Britain) would simply be too big to manage properly. In response to their efforts, Leighton Andrews (a strong supporter of the mergers on any terms) threatened to forcibly dissolve Cardiff Metropolitan and hand its assets over to the university formed by Glamorgan and Newport's merger. , more time had been granted to consider a three-way merger, but Cardiff Metropolitan still demanded more evidence before committing to further talks. Cardiff Metropolitan has described the existing plans as high cost and high risk, and have threatened to refer the matter to spending watchdogs, including the Auditor General. However, Cardiff Metropolitan stressed that it retained an 'open mind' on the subject of a merger, and has ruled out moving to the private sector. On 6 November 2012, the threat of dissolution was removed when the Education Minister made a statement to the Senedd that he had taken the decision to cancel the previous consultation on the proposed dissolutions because of a request from the chairs of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wales, Newport. Campuses Cardiff Met has two campus – one