Edge Hill: Why uni chief is paid £324,000
EDGE Hill University has defended the £324,000 annual salary paid to its vicechancellor, Dr John Cater.
The figure was revealed as the Government warned that universities could be fined for paying bosses eye-watering salaries that they cannot justify.
Dr Cater’s is among hefty six-figure pay packages being paid to higher education chiefs in the Lancashire and Merseyside region.
The salaries were revealed by a University and College Union investigation earlier this year.
Dr Cater is among the highest-paid university figures in the region, which partly reflects his long tenure at the fastgrowing education centre.
Here are the figures – and what the universities have to say about them:
Edge Hill University – Dr John Cater, £324,000
Dr Cater has been the vice-chancellor of Edge Hill for almost a quarter of a century.
His salary added up to 9.8 times the average pay of his university’s staff last year. The social geographer also took home benefits-in-kind worth £10,000.
A university spokeswoman said: “Dr Cater is the UK’s longest-serving vice-chancellor and his salary reflects not only his breadth of experience, but also the significant growth of the institution under his leadership.
“Recent successes include Edge Hill being ranked as Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework and the coveted UK University of the Year title, awarded by Times Higher Education.”
University of Liverpool – Prof Janet Beer, £300,500
Prof Beer, an expert in 19th and 20th century American literature and culture, took over as vicechancellor in February, 2015.
She received £36,700 in pension contributions on top of her £300,500 salary last year.
Her earnings are 7.8 times the average staff salary – but she still earns less than her predecessor in the job.
She has been chair of the Universities UK body since the start of August.
She said: “It is understandable that high pay is questioned and it is right to expect that the process for determining pay for senior staff is rigorous and the decision-making process is transparent.
“It is also reasonable to expect that decisions are explained and justified.”
Liverpool John Moores University – Prof Nigel Weatherill, £282,700
The vice-chancellor was paid 7.8 times more than the average Liverpool John Moores employee last year – receiving £282,696 in pay.
He also received £1,979 in pension contributions, and benefits-in-kind worth £836.
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine – Prof Janet Hemingway, £265,000
Prof Hemingway is a geneticist and director of the school, and took home £265,000 last year.
That salary worked out as 5.7 times what her average employee earns, and she also received £2,000 in pension contributions.
Liverpool Hope University – Prof Gerald Pillay, £261,200 a year
Prof Pillay has led Liverpool Hope as its vicechancellor since it gained full university status in 2005. The academic, a New Zealand citizen born in South Africa, received £261,240 in pay in 2015-16 – plus £42,533 in pension contributions.
His overall package topped more than £300,000, and also included benefits-in-kind worth nearly £10,000.
That meant his salary was eight times higher than the pay of the average member of staff.
He is also the rector and chief academic and administrative officer of the university.
A university spokeswoman say: “The vicechancellor’s salary is bench-marked against a group of similar-sized higher education institutions with a similar profile and history.”
Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts – Mark Featherstone-Witty, OBE, £144,500 overall
Mr FeatherstoneWitty’s pay package was up 6% on the previous year, and included £12,435 in pension contributions.
It was three times the average salary of academic staff, with comparisons to all staff’s average pay not provided.
A Lipa spokesman said: “As a small specialist higher education institution, the salary paid to our equivalent of a vice-chancellor is among the smallest, and in line with salaries paid to vice– chancellors at similar sized institutions.
“That said, his salary is not just an HE salary, since he now has responsibilities for our two free schools.
“We place students first and our financial decisions reflect this priority.”