Checks on students undermine trust

British universities have been positioned as central culprits for failing to regulate their intake of foreign students, while rendered dependent on "overseas" student fees because of government funding cuts. A pernicious new turn took place in summer 2012 when London Metropolitan University lost its "highly trusted sponsor" status, to catastrophic effect for students in the middle of their courses. Since then, universities have been preoccupied with managing accountability demanded by UK Visas and Immigration (formerly the UK Border Agency), and, in effect, have become its proxy. Academics at a number of universities in the UK and beyond have now become concerned at this state of affairs, and at the methods used to establish bona fide student status. Read more...