Universities refuse to release vice chancellor pay details

Four fifths of universities have refused to comply with the University and College Union’s (UCU) request to release information about the pay of vice chancellors.

The UCU requested the release of minutes of remuneration meetings where the salaries of vice chancellors were discussed and set.

A remuneration committee is established to ensure that pay arrangements support the aims of universities and to make sure that the most motivated and efficient employees are maintained according to the requirements of the university.

According to The Times Higher Education, 27 out of 139 institutions sent minutes in response to a freedom of information request sent by the union.

The universities of Glasgow and Stirling were the only institutions to release details of last year’s pay award.

Some universities sent redacted minutes which made it difficult for the UCU to complete their survey.

The request was sent by the UCU as a follow up of their annual survey which was released last week. The survey revealed that vice chancellor’s salaries and benefits rose by an average of 5.5 percent in 2012-2013.

There were protests and controversy following the discovery that Warwick’s vice-chancellor, Nigel Thrift was granted a five percent increase in his salary. His income is now £332,000.

Warwick publicly publishes the remuneration of the vice chancellor’s pay each year in its annual accounts.

The vice chancellor does not attend the discussions about his salary at a remuneration committee.

Peter Dunn, head of communications at Warwick University stated: “This allows for a more full and deliberation of the matter than would be possible if those deliberations were published to everyone, including the post-holder being discussed.”