sunday times 原文
A CONTROVERSIAL university is to become the first in Britain to be stripped of its right to educate foreign students after the Home Office branded it “a threat to immigration control”.
The decision to revoke the licence of London Metropolitan University (LMU) to sponsor visas means about 2,600 students from outside the European Union will have 60 days to find places on courses at other institutions or be ordered out of the country.
Theresa May, the home secretary, is notifying David Cameron of her decision this weekend. Her officials have identified so many failings at LMU that the authorities no longer trust it to ensure that its foreign students do not become illegal immigrants.
An audit this month by the UK Border Agency, the contents of which have been obtained by The Sunday Times, found shortcomings including:
■ Students “continuing to study at LMU without valid leave [visas] despite the university having reassured us that this issue had been rectified”.
■ Students being granted visas to enter Britain, but not turning up to enrol on their courses and the university failing to report their non-attendance to the border agency.
■ Failure by the university to test adequately the English ability of foreign students.
■ Failure to assess students’ academic ability and academic records.
A draft of the Home Office’s letter to Cameron states that the university’s licence is being revoked “due to a failure to comply with their sponsor duties and the resulting threat to immigration control”.
Malcolm Gillies, London Met’s vice-chancellor, said last night: “The university is immensely disappointed with this news. It comes after six weeks of suspension during which the university has done everything it could to demonstrate that the current state of its operations warrants continuing HTS [highly trusted sponsor] status, and that a new management has worked to remedy past weaknesses.”
He added: “The effect upon London Met and its partners is immense. This affects not just students intending to join this autumn but also all international students currently enrolled. Their surprise, shock and concern will be huge and we shall work with them to ensure they have the widest range of options to continue their studies, either in the UK or elsewhere.”
A border agency spokesman said: “We do not routinely comment on individual cases. Any education provider has to meet strict standards, ensuring they provide high-quality education and take their immigration responsibilities seriously. We will not tolerate any abuse of the immigration system.”
London Met is entitled to appeal and also to reapply for its licence after six months.
Foreign students have been targeted by the government as it tries to meet a Conservative pledge to cut net immigration. Hundreds of private colleges have closed, many after losing their licences to sponsor visas.
London Met is the first publicly funded university to lose its licence. Two others, Glasgow Caledonian and Teesside, had their licences suspended but then restored.
The cancellation will reverberate across British higher education. Universities UK has been lobbying Cameron to exclude students from the migration target on the grounds that they bring billions of pounds in fees and other spending to the British economy and are a valuable source of skills. It has been doing this by trying to draw a clear line between universities and the questionable practices of many private colleges.
London Met, which has two campuses — one in the City and one in Holloway Road in the north of the capital — has more than 22,000 students, although it has shrunk in recent years. The loss of its licence is likely to have a severe impact on its finances. In 2010-11 about 15% of its £157.8m income came from foreign student fees.
It has been rocked by several crises since it was formed in 2002 from the merger of two universities. In 2009 it was ordered to repay £36.5m to the Higher Education Funding Council for England after overstating its student numbers and wrongly gaining government grants as a result. It was also placed on an official list of universities at risk of financial failure.
The scandal led to the resignation of Brian Roper, then vice-chancellor, and his replacement by Gillies. Earlier this year the university was penalised for over-recruiting students and is expected to have to pay back another £5m-£6m.
As Gillies tries to turn around its fortunes, he has slashed hundreds of courses and pitched tuition fees at an average of £6,850 for this autumn, among the lowest in the country.
Following the suspension of London Met’s licence last month, he told staff and students in a newsletter: “We continue to work with [the border agency] to resolve the issue. We hope to see the suspension lifted later next week.”
我只是不满bbc 中文这种报道方式，有很多海外学子都看bbc的网站，有点儿misleading呀
哎呀紅屁股原來你是搞傳媒的，我有個朋友想來英國讀傳媒專業的master，能不能給個私人聯繫方式交流下心得~~
。。还以为找到勾搭妹纸的帮手了，，原来。。。你也很凄惨啊。。。
有内幕，求爆料