... as across the city, vice-chancellor on £468k is told by professors to quit
BRITAIN’S highest-paid university chief faced a revolt last night as scores of professors called for her to quit immediately.
Bath University vice-chancellor Dame Glynis Breakwell announced last week that she would step down in February 2019 – after a six-month ‘sabbatical’ on full pay.
The arrangement will see her pocket a £234,000 ‘golden goodbye’ even after she stops being vice-chancellor in August.
But more than 70 Bath academics have written to Dame Glynis – paid £468,000 a year – calling on her to leave now without a pay-off.
Yesterday, university spending watchdog Hefce confirmed it was investigating ‘governance issues’ over the decision to award the 65year-old such a generous retirement package, which includes writing off a £31,489 car loan.
She has denied being forced out of her job following a scandal which saw her pay rise by £18,000 this year as students and ordinary staff struggle to make ends meet. The letter from Bath’s academic community says they are ‘very concerned at the reputational crisis that has developed over recent months’ and urged her to step down immediately.
It said: ‘We question the use of public funds for the vice chancellor’s proposed “sabbatical”, which was awarded without reference to our standard sabbatical procedures, and risks continuing negative publicity.’
They also called for the resignation of the university council chairman Thomas Sheppard, who oversaw her pay deals. Dame Glynis said her sabbatical had been awarded on the recommendation of the university’s remuneration committee, adding: ‘During the sabbatical, I will be engaged in research and publishing primarily in the fields of psychology.’
Mr Sheppard said the complaint to Hefce over the sabbatical had ‘no substance whatsoever’ and he refuted all allegations.