Middlesex in the clear

Funding council investigators have concluded their examination of alleged mismanagement at Middlesex University, reporting that they are "satisfied" with the university's assurances that "circumstances have changed" since a series of controversial events reported in The THES.

The Higher Education Funding Council's audit team began inquiries into concerns about Middlesex's business school earlier this year, at the behest of the National Audit Office. The NAO had received a complaint about a distance-learning course set up outside the university's usual quality control rules. The course was initially administered through an outside company, via a Post Office box at a small business centre. This arrangement has subsequently been dropped as "uneconomical", the university said.

A spokesman for Hefce said this week: "We have received explanations that satisfy us on a number of counts, or that provide assurance that circumstances have changed." Hefce said it would soon report back to the university and the NAO.

A university spokesperson said: "Hefce has made clear to the university that it has no intention of pursuing further any of the issues it asked the university to comment on."