The story that GCU has become the first UK University to lose its licence to recruit international students, has been treated as a serious matter by media outlets through the UK and wider afield, thus giving weight to the fears of GCU unions that ‘This move will damage our reputation internationally and domestically’. It adds urgency to the need for the Chair of University Court to convene an emergency meeting to examine this serious situation.

Amongst the coverage were interviews with CUC spokespeople on Radio 4 at 4pm, and Radio 5 Live drive show. and for about 20 minutes on STV (link here)

The UK Press Association reported: University’s student visas halted.  The issue featured on BBC Scotland Reporting Scotland, and also at 10.30pm. The BBC on-line site featured Glasgow Caledonian University has licence suspended . The UK Daily Telegraph featured University has foreign student licence suspended The Herald reported: University Visas suspended  and a letter reported: Students may suffer if university loses its international licence.   Times Higher Education reported: Border Agency suspends Glasgow Caledonian’s Tier 4 licence   The Scottish Daily Record reported: Glasgow Caledonian questioned by UK Border Agency over abuse of student visa system Glasgow Evening Times reported: University faces losing foreign student licence

There have also started to be reports in the international media. Here is one from the Manila Standard in the Phillipines.

It was disappointing that despite the importance of this for the future of the University, and despite the need for a frank discussion of what went wrong, and how this can be avoided, like the recent successful UCU strike at the university, Caledonian Connect had no mention of this whatsoever. No sign of Glasnost in our own publications – this does not seem to be a mature way to handle important issues.