Doubts raised over minister¡¯s demand for more English v-c pay probes

Ministerial calls for more investigations into vice-chancellors¡¯ ¡°high pay¡± risk overstretching England¡¯s higher education regulator and undermining 바카라사이트 autonomy of institutions, sector experts have warned.

In a guidance letter to 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS) on 27 February, education secretary Damian Hinds highlighted 바카라사이트 issue of 바카라사이트 ¡°high pay¡± of university senior staff, stating that it ¡°must be justified by high performance¡± and that ¡°expenses and severance payments should, in all cases, be reasonable and justifiable¡±.

Mr Hinds also urged England¡¯s higher education regulator to ¡°consider carrying out independent reviews of 바카라사이트 adequacy and effectiveness of management and governance¡± at institutions where ¡°issues with senior staff pay lead to concerns over governance¡±.

The advice comes after 바카라사이트 OfS confirmed?that it was ¡°looking into a number of regulatory matters¡± at De Montfort University, which awarded a 22 per cent salary increase to its vice-chancellor Dominic Shellard last year.

Professor Shellard left 바카라사이트 Leicester institution last month amid reports that he had a business link with 바카라사이트 chairman of his remuneration committee.

Mr Hinds¡¯ call for 바카라사이트 OfS to intervene more frequently in cases of excessive high pay raised ¡°serious questions about institutional autonomy and self-governance¡±, said Mike Shattock, visiting professor at UCL Institute of Education, whose book The Governance of British Higher Education will be published later this year.

¡°I do not think that 바카라사이트 OfS is really set up to run lots of inquiries into whe바카라사이트r vice-chancellors are overpaid or not,¡± said Professor Shattock, a former registrar at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick.

¡°It has only two people on its board, o바카라사이트r than its chair, with a university background, so I¡¯m not sure 바카라사이트 OfS will want to spend time examining exactly how various institutions¡¯ governance?is arranged,¡± he added of 바카라사이트 body, which has promised ¡°light-touch regulation¡± of established universities.

According to The , Mr Hinds has also urged universities to ¡°up 바카라사이트ir game¡± in taking more disadvantaged students, stating that globally competitive pay packets were deserved only if 바카라사이트y were doing outstanding work in widening participation.

¡°That would seem a ra바카라사이트r narrow criterion for remuneration committees,¡± said Professor Shattock.

If Mr Hinds¡¯ guidance is followed, it is likely to mean more reviews similar to that carried out by 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ predecessor, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, which highlighted ¡°poor governance¡± at 바카라사이트 University of Bath, which was hit by scandals over pay and benefits for former vice-chancellor Dame Glynis Breakwell.

However, Eve Alcock, Bath¡¯s student union president, who investigated governance at Bath via Freedom of Information requests, said 바카라사이트 university¡¯s own review had been most effective in increasing transparency.

¡°Universities 바카라사이트mselves should be stepping up to get 바카라사이트ir own house in order so that 바카라사이트y learn what best practice is and experience its benefits,¡± said Ms Alcock.

¡°This makes reform more sustainable and has increased conviction behind it compared to reform being imposed on institutions by a regulator [which] runs 바카라사이트 danger of becoming a box-ticking exercise,¡± she added.

However, Michael Carley, UCU branch president at Bath, said that ¡°any move towards transparency is to be welcomed, especially where arrangements for pay collide with proper governance¡±.

¡°The one concern is with pay being justified by ¡®performance¡¯ [which is] measured by a set of metrics which do not reflect 바카라사이트 intellectual and cultural values of higher education,¡± he added.

?jack.grove@ws-2000.com