Flights Down Under and to Asia take Croft expenses over £13k

Warwick’s Vice-Chancellor Stuart Croft claimed over £13,000 in expenses last year including nearly £6,000 on flights to Australia, despite economy fares on similar routes costing a sixth of the price.   

Spending by university vice-chancellors, including Croft, has come under significant scrutiny and fire in recent years, as universities across the UK continue to struggle with financial issues and instability.  

While Croft’s expenses claim was lower this year than in the 2023/24 financial year, when he claimed £26,602 in expenses, it is still his third-highest remuneration since he became Vice-Chancellor in 2016.  

Croft was […] reimbursed £5,871 for return flights and taxis during the trip [to Australia]

Croft’s claims for accommodation, transport, and hospitality over the past year totalled £13,172 which, when added to his salary and benefits as Vice-Chancellor, takes his total annual income to at least £397,000.   

The Vice-Chancellor’s claims over the past year have included on trips to several international destinations, including Australia, South Africa, and Asia.  

While the University did not confirm the exact purposes of these trips to The Boar, a spokesperson said that the Vice-Chancellor “leads strategic efforts” on behalf of Warwick, a “globally leading university”, to “build international education partnerships, recruit exceptional academics and students, and research investment”.  

Documents from the University state that such trips are usually made on university business, such as meeting with partner universities or promoting the University abroad.  

One notable claim during this financial year was for Croft’s trip to Australia in September 2024. In addition to a £657 claim for four nights’ accommodation, Croft was also reimbursed £5,871 for return flights and taxis during the trip.  

According to the University’s Expenses Policy, staff who claim expenses for air travel should fly in economy class. Research by The Boar found that return economy fares for similar journeys to that made by Croft typically cost in the region of £700 to £1,100.  

Croft’s expenses spend this year now takes his total payments for travel and hospitality in the nine years he has been Vice-Chancellor to over £100,000

When questioned by The Boar over the discrepancy between these costs and the fare claimed by Croft, a spokesperson for the University said: “Due to the amount of travel that the Senior Leadership Team is required to undertake and that they are required to work while they travel, the University permits business class travel under the terms of the Senior Leadership contract.”  

Business and first-class fares for flights from the UK to Australia can cost anywhere upwards of £3,000.  

Further claims made by Croft included £1,930 for a week’s trip to Asia in June, £974 for return flights to South Africa in May, and £2,845 on travel to and accommodation in London throughout the year.  

In November, the Vice-Chancellor was also remunerated £8 for car parking in Birmingham, despite the University’s Expenses Policy stating that rail should be the default mode of transport for journeys of up to six hours.  

The University told The Boar that, despite this policy, it is sometimes “necessary to seek alternative forms of transport for logistical reasons”.  

Vice-chancellors at the Russell Group of universities alone […] claimed £1 million in expenses over the last three years

Croft’s expenses spend this year now takes his total payments for travel and hospitality in the nine years he has been Vice-Chancellor to over £100,000. Notably, Croft’s spending fell significantly during the years affected by the Covid lockdowns, with a total claim of only £16 in 2020/21.   

An investigation by The Times earlier this year found that vice-chancellors at the Russell Group of universities alone had claimed £1 million in expenses over the last three years, despite growing pressure for universities to either reconsider their finances or be at risk of going bust.  

Jo Grady, General Secretary of the University and College Union, has argued that vice-chancellors are “attempting to bin courses and cut student provisions to the bone”, with figures showing that four in ten UK universities are facing financial deficits. 

A spokesperson for the University told The Boar: “Like all universities, we are committed to reporting transparently, delivering value for money, and ensuring that any costs incurred meet our expenses policy and are in line with our financial strategy.”