Could a university be the next HMV?

By Anna Fazackerley. The closure of any higher education institution would be a huge embarrassment to Britain, say vice-chancellors. For many years the idea of a university going bankrupt has seemed impossible. But senior academics are warning that some universities could easily go the way of HMV or Jessops – and leave a huge dent in the image of British higher education.
Data on the number of new students accepted in universities for the 2012-13 academic year, released by Ucas on Friday, revealed that a large number of institutions suffered a drop in numbers compared with the previous year. But some modern universities took a disproportionate beating.
Student numbers at the beleaguered London Metropolitan University, which has undergone serious subject cutbacks, were down a huge 43%. They were down 20.4% at the University of East London, 18.4% at the University of Cumbria, 16.3% at the University of Central Lancashire, 16% at Liverpool Hope University and 15.6% at the University of Lincoln. Read more...