Why we need to protect the 'university'

By Aldwyn Cooper. Policymakers must not dilute the university brand, says Aldwyn Cooper – becoming a university remains a challenging process. Gaining the title of university isn't easy – it took Regent's College many years. Founded in 1986, Regent's commenced its progress towards degree awarding powers and university title in 2007 and since then, it has undergone an intensive scrutiny process led by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce). This included a full annual cycle of scrutiny, a further governance audit, a check on student numbers and a consultation on the proposed change in name. Read more...