Wye College - Kent withdrawal clouds future

The University of Kent is pulling out of Wye College in a move that raises new questions about the college's future. In recent years, Kent has offered an applied business management course at Wye in conjunction with Imperial College London, but the number of applications has slumped. Kent's student and staff will withdraw by 2009. The failure of the course has put the campus's viability in question. These latest events further compound uncertainties that began in 2000 when Wye lost its status as a college within the University of London and merged with Imperial College. An Imperial spokesman said: "The college is discussing the implications of the decision with its staff and students at Wye Campus. During the next 18 months, the college will seek to identify the opportunities for activities that would fit well at the campus." Imperial closed the department of agricultural sciences at Wye, ending most teaching and research at the campus, in 2004. About 5 Imperial College students and 20 University of Kent students are currently based at Wye, which was founded in 1447 as the College of St Gregory and St Martin.