INTO University Partnerships
Encyclopedia
INTO University Partnerships is a British limited company
that specialises in setting up joint venture
s with universities. It focuses on the provision of foundation course
s for international student
s, including English language
, especially English for Academic Purposes
.
, a chain of language school
s. Since the sale of Study Group, Colin has been involved in property development. In 2007, well before the British property bubble
burst, he stated that INTO is "not trying to make money out of the tuition fees. That's the problem with both language schools and international education. If you only have tuition fees to make money from then the easiest way to increase your profits is to cut your teachers' wages. INTO is going to make money out of the buildings.".
Under the joint venture
model, the university remains responsible for educational quality, while INTO provides the marketing infrastructure, finance and specialist management experience. This business model
was developed in a political climate that favours public-private partnership
s. Bill Rammell
, Minister of State
in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
, in response to a question from Colchester MP
Bob Russell, welcomed such innovation in higher education
.
INTO has so far set up joint ventures with seven British universities: University of East Anglia
, University of Exeter
, Newcastle University, Glasgow Caledonian University
, City University London, Queen's University Belfast and University of East Anglia, London. Additionally, it is an international foundation partner for the University of Manchester
.
INTO has also set up two joint ventures with American universities; Oregon State University
and in 2010 University of South Florida
.
INTO opened, in October 2008, a £35 million six-storey building at INTO UEA, with 415 en-suite study-bedrooms and classroom space for 600 students.
on student visas in 2011, INTO said it had "welcomed and educated almost 21,000 students from more than 138 countries and territories to the UK and provide direct employment for close to 1,000 people in the UK alone".
INTO has been in preliminary discussion with several other British universities, the majority of which have decided not to form a partnership, including Essex
, Goldsmiths
and Westminster
. Essex elected to restructure its own international operations, and Goldsmiths to suspend its internationalisation plans. In contrast, the Senate of Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, voted in favour of an INTO partnership in April 2009, which led to the setting
up of INTO Queen's University of Belfast
.
In July 2008, INTO announced that it had signed its first agreement in the United States
, to operate a foundation year programme for Oregon State University
. OSU said that it had long wanted to expand the number of international students, and turned to INTO for its worldwide infrastructure and expertise in recruitment; some staff, on the other hand, expressed concerns over working conditions. The programme is due to start in autumn 2009. It intends to begin with 150-200 students. A local news source, OregonLive, states that the new venture will "replace the English Language Institute, a self-sustaining program that has helped international students learn English for 43 years", a move that fills its former director with concern. The Provost of OSU, Sabah Randhawa, who has led the university's transformational development, expressed satisfaction with the partnership.
(UCU) claims credit in cases where initial discussions have not progressed, whereas the institutions have not publicly cited staff opposition. UCU has consistently opposed INTO's expansion into higher education, claiming that in every case where staff were consulted, they rejected INTO. For example, in a survey of staff at Essex, 90% rejected the proposed partnership. This objection is compounded by two things: that INTO does not recognise unions, and that Andrew Colin acknowledges that the rates offered are likely to be worse.
The International Centre for English Language Studies (ICELS) at Oxford Brookes University
strongly opposed INTO's approach, and the UCU claimed credit for this opposition influencing the university's decision. The university stated that it would not go ahead with the project because it required such a large real estate commitment. The University of Essex
, following questions from UCU, explained the benefits of working with INTO, but in October 2008 decided not to enter a partnership.
In February 2007, the Times Higher Education published an article featuring the UCU's dispute of guarantees that INTO offered to existing Newcastle staff. Andrew Colin rejected the UCU criticism, saying in 2007 "Give me three years and I will show you it is possible to create secure, well-paid jobs in EAP, and more of them," and rejected the similarity of his business model to private finance initiative
s (PFI).
Andrew Colin said of the lecturers' union in 2008, ""I've asked for a dialogue with the UCU, but they won't talk to us. The union causes a lot of anxiety and talk about standards and job losses, they don't mention the fact that we are creating jobs and that the university is responsible for academic standards."
In July 2008, INTO threatened UCU with a legal suit for defamation, in response to a union briefing entitled "Into the unknown". The union removed the document from their website.
Students, staff and local communities are encouraged to raise money for the projects through activities such as sponsored sports events, comedy nights, food festivals and charity auctions. Between 2008 and 2010 the charity donated £58,054 to the projects it supported.
when MP Austin Mitchell
asked why it had not filed financial records with Companies House
, as it is legally obliged to do. Andrew Colin said in the Times Higher Education that the delay in submitting accounts was a "simple mistake". He also revealed that the first set of submitted accounts showed a loss of £1.7m, but stated that the company would be beyond the break-even
point by the third year.
INTO University Partnerships is a separate company from each of the joint ventures, which are owned by INTO and the institutional partner. INTO has funded the start-up and growth of the partnership network, with a private investment of £8.4 million committed to date. The business is meeting or exceeding all financial targets.
turbo-prop aircraft, with registration G-INTO. An article in General Aviation magazine quotes the cost of these aircraft as starting at $4m and states that Andrew Colin has ordered a second aircraft for delivery in 2010
. Colin credits the first corporate plane
, which he had had for only a few months at the time of the interview, with transforming the way he and his UK team did business, removing much of the strain of travel. “In one week we attended meetings in Glasgow and Newcastle on the Monday, Oxford and London on the Tuesday, Exeter and Birmingham on the Wednesday, Glasgow again on the Thursday and Norwich on the Friday.".
The aeroplane is leased under a long-term rental agreement.
Limited company
A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
that specialises in setting up joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
s with universities. It focuses on the provision of foundation course
Foundation Course
A foundation course is a preparatory course for university-level art and design education, used particularly in the United Kingdom.-Description:...
s for international student
International student
According to Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development , international students are those who travel to a country different from their own for the purpose of tertiary study. Despite that, the definition of international students varies in each country in accordance to their own national...
s, including English language
English language learning and teaching
English as a second language , English for speakers of other languages and English as a foreign language all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is...
, especially English for Academic Purposes
English for Academic Purposes
English for academic purposes entails training students, usually in a higher education setting, to use language appropriately for study. It is a challenging and multi-faceted area within the wider field of English language learning and teaching , and is one of the most common forms of English for...
.
History
INTO University Partnerships was founded in 2005 and is chaired by Andrew Colin, who had previously set up Study Group International, an education business he sold to the Daily Mail Group, and Embassy CESEmbassy CES
Study Group International is a limited company specializing in the teaching of English to international students, and in courses aimed at preparing international students for university-level education in five Anglophone countries across the world....
, a chain of language school
Language school
A language school is a school where one studies a foreign language. Classes at a language school are usually geared towards, but not limited to, communicative competence in a foreign language...
s. Since the sale of Study Group, Colin has been involved in property development. In 2007, well before the British property bubble
Real estate bubble
A real estate bubble or property bubble is a type of economic bubble that occurs periodically in local or global real estate markets...
burst, he stated that INTO is "not trying to make money out of the tuition fees. That's the problem with both language schools and international education. If you only have tuition fees to make money from then the easiest way to increase your profits is to cut your teachers' wages. INTO is going to make money out of the buildings.".
Under the joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
model, the university remains responsible for educational quality, while INTO provides the marketing infrastructure, finance and specialist management experience. This business model
Business model
A business model describes the rationale of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value...
was developed in a political climate that favours public-private partnership
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
s. Bill Rammell
Bill Rammell
William Ernest Rammell is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Harlow from 1997 to 2010, and has served as the Minister of State for the Armed Forces at the Ministry of Defence...
, Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was a UK government department created on 28 June 2007 to take over some of the functions of the Department of Education and Skills and of the Department of Trade and Industry. In June 2009 it was merged into the newly formed Department for...
, in response to a question from Colchester MP
Colchester (UK Parliament constituency)
Colchester is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
Bob Russell, welcomed such innovation in higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
.
INTO has so far set up joint ventures with seven British universities: University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
, University of Exeter
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
, Newcastle University, Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow Caledonian University is a public university in Glasgow, Scotland.The university was constituted by an Act of Parliament on 1 April 1993 as a result of a merger between Glasgow Polytechnic and The Queen's College, Glasgow....
, City University London, Queen's University Belfast and University of East Anglia, London. Additionally, it is an international foundation partner for the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
.
INTO has also set up two joint ventures with American universities; Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
and in 2010 University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
.
INTO opened, in October 2008, a £35 million six-storey building at INTO UEA, with 415 en-suite study-bedrooms and classroom space for 600 students.
Future plans
In their submission to the Home Affairs Select CommitteeHome Affairs Select Committee
The Home Affairs Select Committee is a Committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Remit:The Home Affairs Committee is one of the House of Commons Select Committees related to government departments: its terms of reference are to examine "the expenditure,...
on student visas in 2011, INTO said it had "welcomed and educated almost 21,000 students from more than 138 countries and territories to the UK and provide direct employment for close to 1,000 people in the UK alone".
INTO has been in preliminary discussion with several other British universities, the majority of which have decided not to form a partnership, including Essex
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
, Goldsmiths
Goldsmiths College
Goldsmiths, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom which specialises in the arts, humanities and social sciences, and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It was founded in 1891 as Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute...
and Westminster
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
. Essex elected to restructure its own international operations, and Goldsmiths to suspend its internationalisation plans. In contrast, the Senate of Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, voted in favour of an INTO partnership in April 2009, which led to the setting
up of INTO Queen's University of Belfast
INTO Queen's University of Belfast
INTO Queen's University Belfast is a joint venture study centre set up jointly by Queen's University Belfast and INTO University Partnerships. Announced in July 2009, the international college provides foundation course, English language programmes and graduate diploma courses for international...
.
In July 2008, INTO announced that it had signed its first agreement in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, to operate a foundation year programme for Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
. OSU said that it had long wanted to expand the number of international students, and turned to INTO for its worldwide infrastructure and expertise in recruitment; some staff, on the other hand, expressed concerns over working conditions. The programme is due to start in autumn 2009. It intends to begin with 150-200 students. A local news source, OregonLive, states that the new venture will "replace the English Language Institute, a self-sustaining program that has helped international students learn English for 43 years", a move that fills its former director with concern. The Provost of OSU, Sabah Randhawa, who has led the university's transformational development, expressed satisfaction with the partnership.
Opposition from lecturers and conflict with UCU
Several British universities have been approached by INTO and the majority have decided not to proceed. The University and College UnionUniversity and College Union
The University and College Union is a British trade union formed by the merger in 2006 of the Association of University Teachers and the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education ....
(UCU) claims credit in cases where initial discussions have not progressed, whereas the institutions have not publicly cited staff opposition. UCU has consistently opposed INTO's expansion into higher education, claiming that in every case where staff were consulted, they rejected INTO. For example, in a survey of staff at Essex, 90% rejected the proposed partnership. This objection is compounded by two things: that INTO does not recognise unions, and that Andrew Colin acknowledges that the rates offered are likely to be worse.
The International Centre for English Language Studies (ICELS) at Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University is a new university in Oxford, England. It was named to honour the school's founding principal, John Brookes. It has been ranked as the best new university by the Sunday Times University Guide 10 years in a row...
strongly opposed INTO's approach, and the UCU claimed credit for this opposition influencing the university's decision. The university stated that it would not go ahead with the project because it required such a large real estate commitment. The University of Essex
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
, following questions from UCU, explained the benefits of working with INTO, but in October 2008 decided not to enter a partnership.
In February 2007, the Times Higher Education published an article featuring the UCU's dispute of guarantees that INTO offered to existing Newcastle staff. Andrew Colin rejected the UCU criticism, saying in 2007 "Give me three years and I will show you it is possible to create secure, well-paid jobs in EAP, and more of them," and rejected the similarity of his business model to private finance initiative
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
s (PFI).
Andrew Colin said of the lecturers' union in 2008, ""I've asked for a dialogue with the UCU, but they won't talk to us. The union causes a lot of anxiety and talk about standards and job losses, they don't mention the fact that we are creating jobs and that the university is responsible for academic standards."
In July 2008, INTO threatened UCU with a legal suit for defamation, in response to a union briefing entitled "Into the unknown". The union removed the document from their website.
INTO Giving
INTO supports its own charity, which is dedicated to “providing and improving the education of young people around the world living in impoverished or difficult circumstances.” Projects supported include a school in China, a children’s centre in Zambia and training for teachers in Gambia. The projects are delivered by third party charities.Students, staff and local communities are encouraged to raise money for the projects through activities such as sponsored sports events, comedy nights, food festivals and charity auctions. Between 2008 and 2010 the charity donated £58,054 to the projects it supported.
Accounts question
INTO reached the parliamentary recordHansard
Hansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.-Origins:...
when MP Austin Mitchell
Austin Mitchell
Austin Vernon Mitchell is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Great Grimsby since a 1977 by-election.-Education and early life:...
asked why it had not filed financial records with Companies House
Companies House
Companies House is the United Kingdom Registrar of Companies and is an Executive Agency of the United Kingdom Government Department for Business, Innovation and Skills . All forms of companies are incorporated and registered with Companies House and file specific details as required by the...
, as it is legally obliged to do. Andrew Colin said in the Times Higher Education that the delay in submitting accounts was a "simple mistake". He also revealed that the first set of submitted accounts showed a loss of £1.7m, but stated that the company would be beyond the break-even
Break-even
Break-even is a point where any difference between plus or minus or equivalent changes side.-In economics:A technique for which identifying the point where the total revenue is just sufficient to cover the total cost...
point by the third year.
INTO University Partnerships is a separate company from each of the joint ventures, which are owned by INTO and the institutional partner. INTO has funded the start-up and growth of the partnership network, with a private investment of £8.4 million committed to date. The business is meeting or exceeding all financial targets.
Aircraft
According to the Civil Aviation Authority's database on registered civil aircraft, a subsidiary, INTO Air, has registered a Swiss-built Pilatus PC-12Pilatus PC-12
The Pilatus PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The main market for the aircraft is corporate transport and regional airliner operators.-Design and development:...
turbo-prop aircraft, with registration G-INTO. An article in General Aviation magazine quotes the cost of these aircraft as starting at $4m and states that Andrew Colin has ordered a second aircraft for delivery in 2010
. Colin credits the first corporate plane
Business jet
Business jet, private jet or, colloquially, bizjet is a term describing a jet aircraft, usually of smaller size, designed for transporting groups of up to 19 business people or wealthy individuals...
, which he had had for only a few months at the time of the interview, with transforming the way he and his UK team did business, removing much of the strain of travel. “In one week we attended meetings in Glasgow and Newcastle on the Monday, Oxford and London on the Tuesday, Exeter and Birmingham on the Wednesday, Glasgow again on the Thursday and Norwich on the Friday.".
The aeroplane is leased under a long-term rental agreement.
See also
- Business-education partnershipsBusiness-education partnershipsA business–education partnership is ongoing involvement between schools and business-industry, unions, governments and community organizations. These partnerships are established by mutual agreement between two or more parties to establish certain goals, and to construct a plan of action for...
- University Foundation ProgrammeUniversity Foundation ProgrammeThe University Foundation Programme is a one-year intensive course that leads to entry to a wide range of universities in the United Kingdom. It is designed as an alternative to the conventional A-Level route, which takes two years to complete....
, a competitor system - Foundation degreeFoundation degreeThe Foundation Degree is a vocational qualification introduced by the government of the United Kingdom in September 2001, which is available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, a year-long programme to prepare British students for undergraduate study - Kaplan, Inc.Kaplan, Inc.Kaplan, Inc. is a for-profit corporation headquartered in New York City and was founded in 1938 by Stanley Kaplan. Kaplan provides higher education programs, professional training courses, test preparation materials and other services for various levels of education...
, a competitor company - English Language Institute, a common name for a university-based service that teaches English