Global University Systems (GUS) may sound like a campus set up by Austin Powers’ arch enemy, but it is in fact the new owner of the University of Law (or ULaw, as literally nobody calls it).

Managing the new acquisition will be a relative doddle for GUS compared with another purchase earlier this year: University Canada West (UCW), which under its previous ownership had acquired what Obiter believes are known as ‘reputational issues’.

North American industry journal College Times currently has 169 student reviews on its website for UCW, and makes it the worst-rated institution on its database. Indeed, the institution is even described as the ‘worst university in the world’ by one poster.

Further checks find a report from CBC News in 2011 that the university closed a campus without warning days after students had paid for classes.

It was no surprise therefore when new owner GUS tried to restore its acquisition’s reputation with a little ‘brand management’.

College Times last month posted the full content of what it said was an email from Global University Systems’ PR boss, who asked for the current profile of UCW to be ‘updating’ [sic] to reflect its new ownership, the university having started a ‘new chapter in UCW’s story’.

Obiter assumes that the PR pitch for ULaw has been more straightforward.

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