University covering up Dickensian villain (5)
I believe the answer is:
uriah
'dickensian villain' is the definition.
(Uriah Heep from Charles Dickens' David Copperfield)
'university covering up' is the wordplay.
'university' becomes 'u' (abbreviation for university).
'covering' becomes 'hair' (hair is a kind of covering).
'up' says the letters should be written backwards (in down clue: letters go upwards).
'hair' reversed gives 'riah'.
'u'+'riah'='URIAH'
(Other definitions for uriah that I've seen before include "embezzling clerk" , "'Umble --- Heep (Dickens)" , "Husband of Bathsheba" , "Dickensian hypocrite ... Heep" , "King David had him killed in battle in order to marry his wife, Bathsheba" .)