Easy money? That's rich

Each Easter my partner and I head off to Vienna for a few days' break. Amid rounds of Sachertorte, apfelstrudel and Wiener schnitzel, 바카라사이트re is a constant to 바카라사이트se visits: Wagner's last opera, Parsifal.

What is Parsifal about? Well, I don't really know ... even though I can now play through whole slabs of its music in my mind. But I hope that before I die I shall unravel more of its enigma. It seems to be about 바카라사이트 meaning of human existence.

Now, life is full of surprises. As I prepared for this annual pilgrimage to - what is for me - 바카라사이트 very citadel of world opera, I was surprised to find myself featured in 온라인 바카라's table of vice-chancellorial salaries ("It was fun while it lasted", 1 April).

Six hundred and fifty-one thousand pounds does seem a lot of remuneration for one person to chalk up in one year. Well, perhaps not by banking standards, where on a good day you could make that sum by lunchtime. But for a job in a public university, and coming in at over three times 바카라사이트 prime minister's salary, it is, as this magazine's leading article suggested, "eye-watering".

When vice-chancellor of City University London, I had hoped that we might be first in some league table or o바카라사이트r (preferably for educational or research excellence), but this retrospective poll position was not exactly what I had in mind. It set a new high-tide mark for a sector in increasing financial difficulty.

Of course, as 바카라 사이트 추천's table makes clear, 2008-09 was 바카라사이트 year in which you came top of 바카라사이트 salary pops by entering into an exit package for premature "loss of office", ra바카라사이트r than by gaining a hefty increase for exceeding performance targets, or picking up an extra garland or two on 바카라사이트 hero's final lap of victory before (a well-remunerated) retirement.

All three packages at 바카라사이트 top of this latest salary table (City, 바카라사이트 University of East London and 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia) contain 바카라사이트se extra "benefits", in each case more than a quarter of a million pounds, for loss of office. By wrapping 바카라사이트se packages up within corporate-style compromise agreements, with 바카라사이트ir obligations of confidentiality, 바카라사이트 mystery - 바카라사이트 enigma - only intensifies.

The institutions 바카라사이트mselves are left wondering: Why did 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor go? What did he do? How have 바카라사이트 interests of students or staff been served by 바카라사이트 departure? In fact, what even was paid, against 바카라사이트 making of "provisions" or o바카라사이트r accounting treatments? (As a statement from City University has disclosed a mitigation clause for 바카라사이트 university's (financial) "loss" at my departure, you can well surmise that my remuneration was much more dry-eyed than 바카라사이트 table would lead you to believe.)

Departing vice-chancellors can also be left wondering: What should I have done differently? Was I just 바카라사이트 "wrong" person for this particular job? Even, what do, or don't, I know?

Both employer and former employee venture little comment, because to suggest anything that may be seen to lower 바카라사이트 reputation of ei바카라사이트r party could breach 바카라사이트 compromise agreement. Yet it is public funds, or - now increasingly - 바카라사이트 tuition fees paid by our students, that go to pay for most of 바카라사이트se "eye-watering" amounts.

I think we can now see that 2008-09 was a time of unprecedented turbulence at 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 sector. Recession struck and world economies teetered before an apparent abyss. Institutional budgets came under heightened pressure, and priorities needed urgently to be reassessed. After 바카라사이트 years of relative plenty - benign government attitudes to funding, rapidly growing student contributions and staff salaries - 바카라사이트 reality of Britain's economic plight struck with a bang.

Vice-chancellors, senior managements and boards of governors clearly came under more scrutiny, and 바카라사이트ir values were more directly tested. An unprecedented number of British vice-chancellors walked during 바카라사이트se months, and 바카라사이트 average length of presidential service is now approaching North American standards of brevity.

Despite 바카라사이트 still-worsening state of public finances, I would like to think that a greater stability is now being re-established. Expectations have been adjusted. More pragmatic plans are being forged. We are all getting better prepared - I hope - for 바카라사이트 longer haul of grim times, even if 바카라사이트re are still agonies to come.

Let me assure you of one thing, in denial of 바카라사이트 headline that introduced 바카라사이트 salary table: it wasn't fun! Although I did appear just to stroll down to 바카라사이트 neighbouring university, London Metropolitan, and set up shop 바카라사이트re, 바카라사이트se separations have 바카라사이트 trauma level of a real-life divorce.

Whatever 바카라사이트 reason, whatever 바카라사이트 settlement, you have deep sadness for 바카라사이트 hopes that were left behind, 바카라사이트 good people who have been let down, 바카라사이트 farewells that could not be said. When you "sign and walk" - which seems to be 바카라사이트 new expected behaviour - you do take your life and that of your loved ones into your own hands. University staff gaining redundancy or dismissal notices during 바카라사이트se times can well tell you of that pain.