Commercial pressure led to rushed job on for-profit title award

By John Morgan. Hefce uneasy over University of Law deal and process for private applicants. John Morgan reports.
The government decision to approve the UK's first for-profit university was hurried through to help meet a deadline in its sale to a private equity firm, a document obtained by Times Higher Education suggests.
According to a paper given to THE under the Freedom of Information Act, the University of Law's application for university title was approved by correspondence without a full board meeting of the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
The move helped to meet a deadline set by the government so that the institution's £200 million sale to Montagu Private Equity could be completed. University title was a crucial part of the sale package. Read more...