UK university partners end ties to LSBF

The private London School of Business and Finance is to lose all its previous degree-validating UK university partners, it has emerged.

The revelation follows news last week that international students on an LSBF taught accountancy course had been threatened with the withdrawal of their visa sponsorship by Glyndwr University.

Last August, the universities of Lincoln, Bradford and Central Lancashire were listed as partners on the private college’s website. LSBF offered an LLM course in international business law from Bradford; bachelor’s degrees in business administration and LLB programmes from Uclan; and a variety of bachelor’s and master’s qualifications in business and finance from Lincoln.

However, all three institutions have decided to end their partnerships with LSBF, Times Higher Education has learned.

A University of Lincoln spokesman said that it had informed LSBF in the “last few weeks” that it would not renew a one-year validation contract that started in July 2013, although students currently enrolled will be taught until completion.

As with the Glyndwr programme, the Lincoln students – of which there are about 200 – are taught by LSBF but sponsored for immigration purposes by the university.

A spokesman for the University of Central Lancashire explained that it had ended its agreement with LSBF in August 2013 after a review of “partnership business” prompted it to “consolidate activity”. He said that 195 students had enrolled and would be taught to the end of their courses.

A University of Bradford spokeswoman said that its partnership had ended in October 2013 “following an institutional level review of collaborative partners”.

Unlike the Lincoln partnership, students on the Bradford and Uclan courses have their visas sponsored by LSBF. According to its website, LSBF has two remaining institutions that offer degrees in partnership with the private provider: the International Telematic University UNINETTUNO, an Italian distance learning university, and the Grenoble Graduate School of Business.

LSBF did not provide a comment in time for THE’s deadline.

david.matthews@tsleducation.com