Link pay to tuition standards, says minister

BOSSES at universities must only be given pay rises if they are delivering excellent or improving teaching, the universities minister insisted yesterday.

Jo Johnson said pay decisions for senior staff should be at least partially linked to performance in the Government’s new teaching standards ratings.

He said institutions will have to justify their salaries to the Office for Students watchdog. Mr Johnson wants to stop uni- versities giving enormous pay rises or bonuses to vice chancellors despite students receiving a mediocre service.

The Teaching Excellence Framework was introduced this year to incentivise universities to direct more attention at students rather than simply focusing on research. But three Russell Group universities – Southampton, Liverpool and the London School of Economics – only scored bronze with the TEF, the lowest possible mark.

Despite this, the salary of Southampton’s vice chancellor has risen 55 per cent in six years to £352,000 a year. Sir Christopher Snowden, who took the job in 2015, has said the TEF ratings lack credibility.