The deal is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK, with Lincoln Bishop set to become part of a private education group subject to regulatory approval.
The agreement will see Lincoln Bishop become part of GUS while retaining its autonomy, academic standards and distinctive identity.
The move builds on a strategic partnership between the two organisations that began in November 2024. Lincoln Bishop said access to GUS’s international network and operational expertise would help it deliver its Strategy 2030 ambitions.
The university will continue to oversee its own academic standards and student experience, while the deal is expected to support further investment in teaching, student support, digital provision and its academic offer.
A separate charitable foundation will also be established and funded by Lincoln Bishop, with the aim of boosting the university’s social and economic impact and building on its work to widen access to higher education.
“Lincoln Bishop is a distinctive institution with a proud history, a clear sense of purpose and a strong commitment to its students and the communities it serves,” said Aaron Etingen, executive chairman and CEO of GUS.
Lincoln Bishop is a distinctive institution with a proud history, a clear sense of purpose and a strong commitment to its students and the communities it serves
Aaron Etingen, GUS
He said joining the wider GUS ecosystem would give the university access to “significant international experience, operational expertise and global reach”.
Lincoln Bishop vice-chancellor Andrew Gower said the agreement would allow the university to “really deliver” on its potential to grow its profile and impact.
“Global University Systems shares our confidence in the continued strength and future direction of the University,” he said.
Gower added that discussions with leaders at other GUS universities had highlighted opportunities for collaboration that could create “new opportunities for students and staff”.
Under the agreement, a new company, Lincoln Bishop University Limited, will be created to operate within GUS.
The university said teaching and student support will continue as normal during the process, with staff, students and other stakeholders kept informed.
Commenting on the deal, UCU general secretary, Jo Grady, said the university’s financial decisions and strategic priorities had contributed to its current position, arguing that staff had repeatedly been asked to absorb the consequences.
“While there is no doubt that the higher education sector is in crisis nationally, the university’s financial decisions and strategic priorities down the years have also contributed to the position that institution finds itself in. These issues were outside the control of our members, and yet they have been asked repeatedly to absorb their consequences through restructuring, increased workloads and the loss of experienced colleagues,” said Grady.
“Lincoln Bishop University is more than a name, a campus, a set of courses, or even an owner. It has an identity that has been built by generations of staff and students through talent, determination and a sense of educational mission in the heart of Lincolnshire.”
Grady said that the UCU “looks forward to engaging in frank conversations” with university leaders and GUS on ways in which “those elements can be treated as the source of future success”.
