University adapts to changing times

The biggest impact will be felt in Shropshire, where the planned closure of the Telford Innovation Campus will be another major blow to a county still reeling from the loss of the Chester University's teaching centre in Shrewsbury.

Many will mourn the loss of the distinctive School of Art building, a familiar landmark in Wolverhampton for the past 55 years, but it should be remembered that the university is in the business of providing education, not preserving interesting architecture. And if the building's demolition enables the site to provide some much-needed open space, and break the 'concrete collar' of the ring road, that is to be welcomed.

Some students will miss the sports centre, but the prospect of Wolverhampton getting its own medical school is an opportunity too good to miss. It will be a huge boost not just for the city, but for the wider NHS which desperately needs a new generation of doctors.

It is widely documented that the past few years have been a challenging time for the university sector, and Wolverhampton University is not immune from these pressures.

As vice-chancellor Prof Ebrahim Adia points out, the university has been around, in one form or another for the best part of 200 years. But in a fast-moving world, no educational institution can afford to stand still, and the university should be commended for adapting to changing times.

We wish it well.