Crichton students staged a protest at their campus More details

They rallied at the Crichton site amid fears the institution may be forced to withdraw from south west Scotland.

The university has said it faces an �800,000-a-year deficit unless it secures extra support from the Scottish Funding Council.

Student protesters said the move was "short-sighted" and vowed to fight to keep the campus in Dumfries.

Postgraduate Scottish Cultural Heritage student Rebecca Boorsma, from California, said it would be a disaster for the area.

She warned the move came at a time when the Crichton was just starting to attract international students such as herself.

She had offers of a place at Aberdeen, St Andrews, Edinburgh and Glasgow's main campus but chose Dumfries.

To pull the plug on a university before ten years are up - that is a bit short-sighted Rebecca Boorsma

"I chose the Crichton over all four after coming here and looking at the facilities," she said.

"There are some really big names here in what I study.

"I felt this had a lot more to offer."

Ms Boorsma said she felt both the town and the university would lose out if the closure went ahead.

"I feel like it hasn't even had a chance to grow," she said.

"To pull the plug on a university before 10 years are up - that is a bit short-sighted.

"For Glasgow to be more competitive internationally they need something like this to set themselves apart from Edinburgh and St Andrews."

Students association president Karen Miller said she was disappointed at the level of attention their situation had been given by national politicians.

Full implications

"Just because we are not in the central belt we are outwith their view - they just don't realise the impact," she said.

"We are going up to Glasgow to demonstrate because they probably don't realise the implications.

"If they can close down the Crichton they can close down any of the departments up there."

The student protesters have been active in Dumfries already gathering signatures for a petition against the campus closure.