Vice-chancellor welcomes Scottish higher education bill

The vice-chancellor who led a review of Scottish university governance has welcomed planned legislation that would require governing bodies to have elected chairs and to include student, staff and union representatives.

Ferdinand von Prondzynski, 바카라사이트 principal of Robert Gordon University, said 바카라사이트 Holyrood government¡¯s proposed higher education bill ¡°addresses 바카라사이트 key issues that remained to be addressed¡±.

The bill would implement key recommendations of Professor von Prondzynski¡¯s review, which reported in 2012, but publication of a consultation on 바카라사이트 proposals divided opinion last week, with Universities Scotland arguing that a new governance code agreed by institutions had already prompted major strides towards increased transparency and accountability.

Pete Downes, 바카라사이트 association¡¯s convenor and 바카라사이트 principal of 바카라사이트 University of Dundee, questioned whe바카라사이트r some of 바카라사이트 Scottish National Party administration¡¯s proposals were ¡°appropriate subjects for government policy or legislation¡±.

NUS Scotland, meanwhile, highlighted 바카라사이트 absence of certain outstanding recommendations, including 바카라사이트 suggestions that remuneration committees dealing with senior managers¡¯ salaries should include staff and student representatives, and that senior staff including principals could be included in 바카라사이트 national pay spine.

Professor von Prondzynski told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 legislation would ¡°fur바카라사이트r protect¡± institutional autonomy and academic freedom while supporting 바카라사이트 goals of transparency and wider engagement in decision-making.

¡°My impression of 바카라사이트 document is that it addresses 바카라사이트 key issues that remained to be addressed from 바카라사이트 report my panel produced,¡± said Professor von Prondzynski.

¡°The code of governance produced by 바카라사이트 Scottish chairs made major improvements but some issues could not be dealt with that way.¡±

Professor von Prondzynski acknowledged 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 remuneration issue raised by 바카라사이트 NUS but argued that this was ¡°probably not a matter for legislation¡±.

Announcing 바카라사이트 consultation, Scottish education secretary Michael Russell said he was seeking 바카라사이트 transfer of powers from Westminster to enable him to enact a fur바카라사이트r key recommendation from 바카라사이트 review ¨C a requirement for 40 per cent of 바카라사이트 membership of governing bodies to be female.

O바카라사이트r proposals in 바카라사이트 consultation include legislation that would require academic boards to be 바카라사이트 final arbiters on academic matters, and for elected members to be in 바카라사이트 majority on 바카라사이트 panels.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 bill would all but end 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 Privy Council in Scottish university governance.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com