The University of Gloucestershire has been accused of lacking transparency after it emerged that it has agreed to form a partnership with private firm INTO to develop its business school.

At a governing council vote on the tie-up, one member objected to the partnership, three members were away and two left the meeting before the poll was taken, Times Higher Education has learned, out of a total membership of 17.

Although it is understood that INTO is the firm involved, the university refused to confirm this to THE, and would say only that it was exploring a joint venture with a ¡°new partner¡±.

The university did not reveal specific details of what the partnership might involve, but one option thought to have been discussed is for INTO to fund the construction of a new business school in return for joint ownership.

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At a meeting in March, the council voted by a ¡°large majority¡± to pursue the partnership ¡°in principle¡±, according to a spokesman for the university.

¡°With the backing of a new partner, we can potentially secure additional investment, expertise and international networks that will bring significant benefits for students, staff and business,¡± he said.

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The INTO venture would form part of a new ¡°Growth Hub¡± designed to support local businesses in collaboration with the local enterprise partnership. It has secured ?2.7 million in public money from the Higher Education Funding Council for England¡¯s Catalyst Fund, and will open this autumn.

Sally Hunt, the general secretary of the University and College Union, said that there were ¡°large sums of money at risk¡± in the proposed venture and that there had to be ¡°a proper transparent consultation. Unfortunately, this process looks like anything but that.¡±

She pointed to the fact that council members had been absent from the vote, and added: ¡°This is a serious decision and needs proper scrutiny before it is allowed to advance any further.¡±

THE first reported in February that Gloucestershire was mulling a partnership with the firm, of which the majority is owned by its founder Andrew Colin, although last year it sold a 25 per cent stake to the New York-based private equity firm Leeds Equity Partners.

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According to the UCU, the deal would be the first time a UK university jointly runs a department that teaches UK students with a for-profit company.

david.matthews@tsleducation.com