New rules on vice-chancellor pay ‘woeful’

NEW rules to tackle soaring pay among university bosses were branded ‘woefully inadequate’ yesterday.

The new Senior Staff Remuneration Code was criticised for failing to ban vicechancellors from attending committee meetings at which their pay is set.

Published today by the Committee of University Chairs, the guidance aims to stop university bosses influencing their own salary, and make the decision processes on increases more transparent.

It follows a year of revelations about the enormous pay packets of vice-chancellors, with many getting large rises or ‘golden goodbyes’ with little justification.

The code, which also says institutions must provide justification if they give their vice-chancellor a pay rise, applies to all remuneration committees.

Nearly half of vice-chancellors are members of the committee at their university and although the new rules say they must not take part in any discussions relating to their pay, there was anger that it failed to ban them from the meeting.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, which represents lecturers and other higher education staff, said: ‘This woefully inadequate code is nothing more than another plea for restraint to a group of people who have ignored every previous request.

‘It is staggering that it does not even ban vice-chancellors from attending the meetings where their pay is set. If leaders are to be held properly accountable, we need students and staff to be sitting on the committees which set their pay.’