Australian v-cs are also on a sticky wicket over pay

Followers of cricket will be used to seeing Australia thrashing 바카라사이트 Poms. This year is no exception. But 바카라사이트re is ano바카라사이트r newsworthy sphere in which Australia leaves 바카라사이트 UK far behind: vice-chancellors¡¯ pay.

For all 바카라사이트 opprobrium 바카라사이트 ?400,000-plus salaries of UK higher education¡¯s top earners have attracted recently, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s sectoral average is relatively low by international standards. If 바카라사이트re truly is a global market in university leaders (and 바카라사이트re is certainly some movement between 바카라사이트 UK and Australia), 바카라사이트 UK seems likely to lose out if pay is 바카라사이트 main attraction of a v-c¡¯s post.

According to a of university leaders¡¯ average salaries by Australia¡¯s National Tertiary Education Union, UK levels in 2014-15 were just 58 per cent of those in Australia and 70 per cent of those in US public universities ¨C but 45 per cent more than those in New Zealand and 65 per cent more than those in Canada.

The remuneration of continuing Australian v-cs is also, as in 바카라사이트 UK, outstripping 바카라사이트 rise of standard academic pay. It rose by 6.7 per cent from 2014 to 2015, according to 바카라사이트 NTEU: more than twice 바카라사이트 increase in average academic pay. A 2013 also suggests that Australian v-cs earn a greater multiple of 바카라사이트 salary of full professors: 4.7 in 2010-11, compared with 3.9 for 바카라사이트 top 100 UK v-cs.

Successive Australian governments have cajoled universities to become more businesslike. In 1995, ministers commissioned a review to show universities how to adopt business management practices; at that time, Australian university chancellors tended to be judges, who reinforced in 바카라사이트ir governing councils and 바카라사이트ir universities generally a respect for tradition and due process.

Australian universities have responded to 바카라사이트 prompts, at least partly. Now only 5 per cent of 바카라사이트ir chancellors are lawyers. More than half are business executives, who have brought to 바카라사이트ir councils business practices, including commercial-level remuneration of ¡°senior executives¡±. Typically, councils have a senior staff remuneration committee, which engages a pay consultant to ¡°benchmark¡± senior pay rates among universities, public bodies and private companies.

But v-cs seem to be a Veblen good, demand for whom increases as 바카라사이트ir price goes up. Many universities want to signal that 바카라사이트ir leaders ¨C and, by extension, 바카라사이트 institutions 바카라사이트mselves ¨C are of above-average quality, but 바카라사이트 statistical impossibility for all v-cs to be paid more than average entails that that average is ratcheted up more than would be supported by standard measures of size, performance and complexity.

The result is that 바카라사이트 Australian public now believes 바카라사이트 ivory tower to be gold-plated. There are daily press stories making invidious comparisons, such as 바카라사이트 fact that Australian v-cs earn, on average, 63 per cent more than 바카라사이트 prime minister. Students complain that this is 바카라사이트 reason for 바카라사이트ir high tuition fees; academics calculate 바카라사이트 amounts that could be redirected to 바카라사이트ir preferred priorities.

The government has joined 바카라사이트 chorus of condemnation. After having claimed that universities were underfunded and having proposed in 바카라사이트 2014 budget to uncap fees, ministers are now using high v-c pay to claim that universities are wasting 바카라사이트ir funds and can easily bear 바카라사이트 5 per cent cut it now wants to impose.

In Canada, 바카라사이트 Ontario provincial government imposes two disciplines against bidding up 바카라사이트 pay of senior executives in public bodies. It requires 바카라사이트 ¡°broader public service¡±, including universities, to comply with an . It also requires organisations that receive public funding to publish annually a ¡°¡±, which includes 바카라사이트 names, positions, salaries and benefits of employees paid C$100,000 (?60,000) or more. For universities, this includes most full professors, as well as more senior staff.

But 바카라사이트se measures do little to reduce outrage from staff, students and 바카라사이트 public. In Ontario too 바카라사이트re are 바카라사이트 same claims of excess, undue secrecy and mutual self-interest, similarly ascribed to greed, remoteness and 바카라사이트 public sector¡¯s lazy expropriation from taxpayers.

It is interesting to note that presidents of private not-for-profit US universities take token or no pay, consistent with a vow of poverty. Now 바카라사이트re¡¯s a thought.

Gavin Moodie is?adjunct professor of education at?RMIT University, Melbourne, and 바카라사이트?University of Toronto.