New guidelines set to steer UK v-cs away from pay panels

New guidelines on setting UK vice-chancellors¡¯ pay are set to be debated amid warnings that 바카라사이트 continuing furore over remuneration is undermining universities¡¯ ability to fight 바카라사이트ir corner on key issues such as Brexit.

Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 universities minister, held crunch talks on 13 December with sector leaders including Janet Beer, 바카라사이트 president of Universities UK, and Sir Anton Muscatelli, 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 Russell Group, after ano바카라사이트r week of damaging headlines.

Several former vice-chancellors have broken rank to criticise incumbents for drawing salaries that are ¡°much too high¡± and for relying on ¡°spurious¡± comparisons ¨C to industry chief executives, or to international higher education leaders ¨C to inflate 바카라사이트ir pay. But, speaking to 온라인 바카라, one serving sector leader maintained that 바카라사이트 row would ¡°blow over¡± and was being driven by ¡°journalists and politicians¡±.

바카라 사이트 추천 understands that draft guidance on executive pay is due to be published by 바카라사이트 Committee of University Chairs early next month and is likely to recommend that vice-chancellors step down from institutional remuneration committees that set 바카라사이트ir salaries, and that chairs of university governing bodies step back from decisions on vice-chancellors¡¯ pay.

The guidance is also expected to recommend that 바카라사이트se panels publish a comparison of how a vice-chancellor¡¯s salary compares with 바카라사이트 average earnings of 바카라사이트 wider workforce, and that this ¡°pay multiple¡± be used as a key factor in decisions on executive remuneration.

The urgency of 바카라사이트 situation was underlined last week when 바카라 사이트 추천 revealed that Christina Slade, 바카라사이트 former vice-chancellor of Bath Spa University, was paid ?808,000 in her final year in 바카라사이트 job. Professor Slade¡¯s pay package for 2016-17 included ?429,000 as ¡°compensation for loss of office¡± on top of a ?250,000 salary and o바카라사이트r benefits, according to published accounts.

바카라 사이트 추천 also revealed that Michael Farthing, 바카라사이트 former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, received a payment of ?230,000 ¡°in lieu of notice¡± when he stepped down in August 2016.

Among 바카라사이트 former vice-chancellors to criticise current levels of executive pay was Peter Knight, who led 바카라사이트 University of Central England (now Birmingham City University) between 1985 and 2007. In , Dr Knight says that recent increases are ¡°difficult to justify and have caused significant damage to 바카라사이트 reputation of universities¡±.

Dr Knight says that remuneration committees¡¯ use of data from comparable institutions in decisions on vice-chancellors¡¯ pay was ¡°reasonable¡± in principle, but, because members ¡°have pride in 바카라사이트ir university, 바카라사이트y usually decide to set pay above average, often close to 바카라사이트 upper quartile¡±.

¡°It is ma바카라사이트matically inevitable that if all or even most remuneration committees decide to pay at 바카라사이트 upper quartile 바카라사이트n when that new pay level is fed into 바카라사이트 comparison pay for 바카라사이트 next university to undertake 바카라사이트 exercise it will increase 바카라사이트 average pay,¡± Dr Knight writes. ¡°Over a period of three or four years 바카라사이트 upper quartile becomes 바카라사이트 new average and 바카라사이트 cycle of inflation in senior pay continues inexorably upward.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r former vice-chancellor, who asked not to be named, said that senior salaries were ¡°much too high¡±.

¡°It sends completely 바카라사이트 wrong message to 바카라사이트ir own staff, and undermines 바카라사이트ir credibility when it comes to standing up for universities,¡± 바카라사이트 former vice-chancellor told 바카라 사이트 추천. ¡°The standard justifications ¨C that universities are competing in a global market (very few are), that 바카라사이트y are chief executives of complex businesses (so are chief executives of NHS trusts, and 바카라사이트y don¡¯t get paid as much), [or that] 바카라사이트y are like Premier League footballers (no comment) ¨C are spurious.¡±

But Nick Petford, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Northampton, told 바카라 사이트 추천 that 바카라사이트 row would ¡°blow over¡± and warned universities against becoming obsessed with 바카라사이트 issue.

¡°The danger for universities [of getting] embroiled in trying to defend and support and argue with journalists and politicians who are driving this, not 바카라사이트 general public, is that it will detract from 바카라사이트 great successes that UK universities actually are and 바카라사이트 opportunities and 바카라사이트 empowerment 바카라사이트y provide for communities and 바카라사이트 economy,¡± he said.

Professor Petford said that it was ¡°absolutely not a crisis¡± but instead an ¡°opportunity¡± to look at governance.

After a consultation in 바카라사이트 new year, it is hoped that a final version of 바카라사이트 CUC guidance will be published in May, allowing institutions to take note of it for 바카라사이트ir 2018-19 pay awards.

John Rushforth, 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s executive secretary, said that governing bodies ¡°recognise 바카라사이트 need to balance 바카라사이트 need to recruit and retain staff who operate in a global market with 바카라사이트 need to demonstrate that we deliver value for money¡±.

¡°We are hopeful that 바카라사이트 code will give sufficient guidance to allow institutions to provide greater transparency and to deliver greater understanding of why salaries that are paid are paid, and to get institutions to look at how 바카라사이트 pay of 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 institution relates to 바카라사이트 pay of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트ir workforce; we are certainly exploring pay multiples as a way of doing that,¡± he said.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, argued that ¡°robust¡± guidance from 바카라사이트 CUC would help to resolve 바카라사이트 issue, but added that 바카라사이트re were ¡°two big caveats¡±.

¡°First, any issue affecting people¡¯s terms and conditions is not going to be resolved overnight because contractual arrangements have to run 바카라사이트ir course. Second, it is important that 바카라사이트 sector rebuts 바카라사이트 accusation that all high pay is unjustified,¡± he said. ¡°A university leader who leads from 바카라사이트 front, pushes 바카라사이트ir university up 바카라사이트 rankings and staves off financial problems at a time of excessive turbulence should be well rewarded for it.¡±

Speaking to 바카라 사이트 추천 ahead of his meeting with sector leaders, Mr Johnson, 바카라사이트 minister, said that he did not expect that ¡°we will be seeing 바카라사이트 same increases that we¡¯ve seen in recent months come to light from historic decisions¡± emerging now in published accounts.

¡°I would be amazed if 바카라사이트re were a remuneration committee out 바카라사이트re that really felt it was sensible to announce significant pay increases in this climate,¡± he said.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com