Lincoln Bishop University being taken over by Global University Systems (GUS) could push the institution into a more “generalist” approach to higher education, but some see it as a preferable alternative to “managed decline”.
The takeover, which will see the public institution in effect privatised, is believed to be the first of its kind and comes after GUS provided the university with a major loan after it went into deficit.
Neil Mosley, an independent higher education consultant, said the takeover in the short term “will secure the university’s future”, but it leaves questions over the “size, shape and focus of the university’s provision”.
He said LBU, which has been frequently voted the best in the UK for student experience, could now move towards becoming “a more generalist institution, with a focus on professional and vocational areas”.
“What we’ve seen, and what I think we’ll continue to see, is a diversification of its portfolio around a broader set of subject areas, particularly those with higher volumes of students,” he said. This could include online programmes, Mosley said, noting the university made its first move into the online market in 2025 after launching numerous online master’s programmes and an MBA.
