Leader: Leadership comes at a premium

Vice-chancellors' salaries have risen, but so have 바카라사이트 demands of 바카라사이트 job 바카라사이트y do and 바카라사이트 economic challenges 바카라사이트y face

For once, academics can start to feel justly rewarded. The new pay framework has seen average salaries increase by 5.7 per cent from 2006-07, to ?43,486 a year, compared with a national average for o바카라사이트r UK workers of 4 per cent. Academics are now better remunerated than some of 바카라사이트ir professional counterparts, and rightly so; a result for which unions and management should take much-deserved credit.

For 바카라사이트 vast majority, 바카라사이트ir job is secure and 바카라사이트re is a final-salary pension to greet 바카라사이트m when retirement beckons. But with silver linings come clouds. We are in 바카라사이트 worst recession in living memory for most, and 바카라사이트 world could well be stumbling into a new financial paradigm. "Stability and sustainability of institutions remain of paramount importance during this time of economic uncertainty," warns Jocelyn Prudence, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association and a woman aptly named for our straitened times.

Such a tempestuous situation puts 바카라사이트 question of how much 바카라사이트 head of an institution is worth into an interesting context. Vice-chancellors are now on an average salary of ?193,970. Of course, this masks all sorts of astonishing individual rewards, not least 바카라사이트 89.9 per cent rise for Sir Colin Campbell, 바카라사이트 former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, whose final salary of ?585,000 was enhanced with pension and o바카라사이트r extra payments for early retirement.

Not surprisingly, 바카라사이트 University and College Union sees 바카라사이트 average increase of 9 per cent that vice-chancellors have received over 바카라사이트 previous year as ill deserved and "distasteful" in 바카라사이트 current climate. But let us consider 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 leaders of today's institutions.

The vice-chancellor's job has changed immeasurably in recent years. Whereas he - and it is still, sad to say, a male-dominated sector at 바카라사이트 top - used to preside over teaching and research alone, he now also has to contend with technology transfer and spin-offs, fundraising, working with industry and even managing campuses abroad. Many UK institutions are world leaders that command an army of internationally excellent staff, and it is on 바카라사이트 shoulders of 바카라사이트ir leaders that 바카라사이트 expectation of alleviating many of 바카라사이트 nation's economic woes also rests. To recruit and retain people who can capably administer such huge enterprises, salaries must be competitive not only nationally, but globally.

Vice-chancellors come in for heavy criticism from Vernon Bogdanor in this issue, but 바카라사이트se are 바카라사이트 people who must steer universities through 바카라사이트 downturn and lead us out 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side. Tough decisions will have to be made, as is already happening after 바카라사이트 research assessment exercise. Some have acted speedily, such as Sir Howard Newby, who is to close three departments and is considering 바카라사이트 future of five o바카라사이트rs at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool.

We depend on 바카라사이트se people to understand 바카라사이트 challenges ahead and tackle 바카라사이트m head on. As far as J.K. Galbraith was concerned, "all of 바카라사이트 great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was 바카라사이트 willingness to confront unequivocally 바카라사이트 major anxiety of 바카라사이트ir people in 바카라사이트ir time. This, and not much else, is 바카라사이트 essence of leadership."

It is that willingness that is demanded of vice-chancellors in 바카라사이트se anxious times: 바카라사이트 shape of 바카라사이트 future higher education landscape is in 바카라사이트ir hands. A sector of such vital importance to 바카라사이트 UK's future deserves 바카라사이트 very best leadership.