Putting students first: Managing the impact of higher education provider closure
In this report, we publish the findings of a cross-sector study examining how higher education (HE) providers navigate challenging financial circumstances, specifically market exit. The focus of the study was how to reduce the impact of provider closure on students.
SUMS provided pro bono support, bringing their expertise in supporting student services and change management. Combined with our experience of student complaints during provider exits, this created an opportunity to approach the issue from both a practical and student-centred perspective. The Committee of University Chairs were part of the project’s steering group, ensuring provider governance perspectives were built into the work from the outset.
The study gathered insights from university leaders, students’ unions, experts, and those who have dealt directly with closures. The scope of the study is English HE providers, but it is anticipated that the framework and the learning is applicable to Welsh and other HE providers. There are two key outputs from the study:
- Part One: In the report, SUMS explores what happens during closure, brings together lessons collated from the study, includes case study examples, and makes recommendations for government, regulators, and providers on potential changes needed.
- Part Two: The framework is a practical, Excel-based checklist of key actions providers may consider taking to mitigate the risk of market exit and, if this is undesirable or unavoidable, to help manage closure.
Charlotte Corrish, Head of Public Policy, said:
“Ensuring students are protected during a provider closure should be paramount. We hope that this work will allow for honest and open conversations about market exit, both within and between providers. We see it as a resource that will evolve and support other initiatives. It’s vital that we all understand that student protection isn’t just a compliance issue - it has a very direct impact on the experiences of students in higher education, and we must all be ready.”