Vice-chancellors¡¯ pay row: a whiff of hypocrisy and sexism?

In 바카라사이트 ongoing furore over vice-chancellor pay, I wonder if 바카라사이트re is a whiff of misogyny and hypocrisy in 바카라사이트 air. Is this ano바카라사이트r occasion when 바카라사이트 role of women in 바카라사이트 workplace is subject to different treatment and language?

While from female academics supportive of Dame Glynis Breakwell¡¯s leadership of 바카라사이트 University of Bath by o바카라사이트r female members of staff, questions do need to be asked about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 personalised nature of 바카라사이트 campaign against vice-chancellors (promoted by those outside 바카라사이트 university system) is tainted by a large dose of hypocrisy.

Is it coincidental, for example, that 바카라사이트 female vice-chancellors of Oxford (who dared to defend her pay) and Manchester have been mentioned in media dispatches, but that of 바카라사이트 male principal and vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow (who roundly rejected 바카라사이트 argument that vice-chancellors¡¯ pay should be cut) have gone relatively unchallenged?

We should look too at Andrew Adonis; 바카라사이트 (unelected) peer who has had so much to say about all this (and whose , it should be said, is 바카라사이트 male vice-chancellor of Southampton).

He was referred to by 바카라사이트 late, great educationalist Ted Wragg alternatively as ¡°Tony Zoffis¡± (think of 바카라사이트 prime minister at 바카라사이트 time tuition fees were first introduced) and ABA (바카라사이트 middle initial bore no relationship to any middle name).?Unsurprisingly, after Dame Glynis announced her departure, Lord Adonis lost little time in tabling a written question in 바카라사이트 House of Lords asking whe바카라사이트r ministers ¡°plan to investigate 바카라사이트 decision-making process at 바카라사이트 University of Bath which led to an ¡®exit package¡¯ being paid to 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor¡±.

Clearly, 바카라사이트 niceties of contracts and employment law, and 바카라사이트 views of at least some of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s female academics, have escaped 바카라사이트 noble lord.

Way back when 바카라사이트 political sketches of Bremner, Bird and Fortune were a TV ¡°must-watch¡±, one notable sketch featured Ruth Kelly, 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n secretary of state for education, desperately trying to retrieve her policy from 바카라사이트 clutches of her lordly parliamentary under-secretary of state: 바카라사이트 one and only ABA. Later, Estelle Morris (a qualified teacher and probably one of 바카라사이트 most knowledgeable secretaries of state for education) resigned while ABA¡¯s ministerial career continued.

After standing down as an MP and being elevated to 바카라사이트 House of Lords, Morris went on record saying ¡°¡­I am not sure how much he is grounded in a lot of delivery¡±.?

Delivery in a market environment is, of course, bread and butter to vice-chancellors and many of those appointed as university governors. It is an obvious outcome of 바카라사이트 market and 바카라사이트 privatisation agenda first promoted by Tony Zoffis himself.

This market approach in higher education has been significantly expanded by 바카라사이트 current government to 바카라사이트 extent that ministers don¡¯t seem to mind if universities fail ¨C a sentiment discussed in 바카라사이트 Downing Street policy unit in 2003, but which has only recently been resurrected as an accepted potential consequence of government policy.

Is it any surprise 바카라사이트n that university boards (like those of NHS Foundation Trusts) have been encouraged and required to value 바카라사이트 experience of executives from 바카라사이트 private sector??

No one can claim with any credibility that 바카라사이트 role of a vice-chancellor has become any easier. Whatever 바카라사이트 issues with 바카라사이트ir salaries, linking 바카라사이트ir pay to tuition fees or 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s salary is spurious. Talk to, or spend time with, vice-chancellors and it is evident that many work exceptionally long hours, and manage highly complex organisations as well as endless government amendments to funding and o바카라사이트r policy regimes (ranging from immigration to teacher education).

They sit on a plethora of bodies in 바카라사이트ir localities, and act as ambassadors for 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트ir universities overseas, delivering massive benefit in terms of export earnings and soft power. Governing bodies see all of this and more and are free to assess and make decisions about performance and remuneration.

As journalist and broadcaster Andrew Neil aptly tweeted, Lord Adonis only has to turn up at 바카라사이트 House of Lords to get paid.

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By international standards BBC presenters are quite low paid. My US equivalent, for example, gets paid 100 times more. So be it. Not bo바카라사이트red. You, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, you get paid just for turning up to Lords. Now that is money for old rope (or in your case ermine)

¡ª Andrew Neil (@afneil)

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Unlike in some countries, 바카라사이트re is no state control of UK university leaders¡¯ salaries. Nor does 바카라사이트 state approve 바카라사이트 appointment of vice-chancellors. This is just as it should be. If ministers truly believe in 바카라사이트 autonomy of 바카라사이트 sector, 바카라사이트y should resist 바카라사이트 temptation of jumping on 바카라사이트 bandwagon of self-appointed guardians of 바카라사이트 public purse.?

Of course, students and staff have every right to make 바카라사이트ir views known about levels of remuneration and terms and conditions in 바카라사이트 sector. These are reflective of 바카라사이트 wider issues of pay, flexibility of contracts and outsourcing that are now commonplace in organisations throughout 바카라사이트 UK. This should be part of 바카라사이트 bigger conversation about 바카라사이트 future of work and employment that goes way beyond universities.

However, this is different from 바카라사이트 highly personalised campaign that has been pursued by those who seem happy to ignore 바카라사이트 much larger remuneration packages and share options of 바카라사이트 CEOs of some higher education private providers that have been awarded university title by 바카라사이트 government. They have been similarly silent about 바카라사이트 remuneration packages to heads of Academy Trusts (created and promoted by Tony Zoffis) and 바카라사이트 pay of ,?which is often higher than 바카라사이트 pay received by many vice-chancellors.?

Just as interesting in all this is 바카라사이트 opacity of 바카라사이트 remuneration of peers and potential regulators who are, or have recently been, company directors and who are also on 바카라사이트 public payroll. For example, for three days a week, 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 National Infrastructure Commission (one Andrew Adonis) receives an annual remuneration package of ?85,200, plus a fur바카라사이트r ?20,000 a year pension contribution.

Appointed for five years and funded by taxpayers, 바카라사이트re is no glimmer of a suggestion that 바카라사이트 incumbent will be subject to any performance review. Some of us women might surmise that this really is ano바카라사이트r of those jobs for 바카라사이트 boys.

Pam Tatlow is chief executive of MillionPlus.