BPP has been granted indefinite taught degree awarding powers under the Office for Students’ new regulatory framework.
The institution was first awarded degree awarding powers in 2007, the first publicly owned company in the UK to achieve this status. However, the powers were awarded on a time-limited basis, meaning they could potentially be taken away if it did not meet standards.
BPP gained university status in 2013 but its owner, Apollo Education Group, was sold in 2017 to a consortium of investors, taking the company private in the process. This coincided with an independent review of BPP to check whether it continued to meet student number and governance requirements, with the Department for Education making the final call on whether it should continue to be a university.
In its summary assessment report of indefinite taught degree awarding powers, The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education said BPP “clearly articulates and implements a strategic approach to learning and teaching” and noted it for “its commitment to professional practice and the application of knowledge to real-life situations.”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Stewart said: “The decision is the culmination of a long journey with a clear goal and a lot of hard work involved, that we set out to achieve in 2000.”
“This is significant milestone for BPP and a validation of all the hard work put in by current and previous colleagues and our close partnership with the Students’ Association over the years. The experience and expertise that our staff bring to programme design, delivery and review has been fully acknowledged with this decision.”
BPP was put up for sale again last year but has not yet been offloaded by Apollo; The Lawyer understands it was taken off the market after six months when no potential buyers were found.
