A Dundee University union leader called for “thorough reform” of the way higher education institutions are run.
Carlo Morelli, branch president of the University and College Union (UCU), spoke at a rally at the Scottish Parliament urging MSPs to honour election commitments.
Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) also attended the protest, which came amid anger over decisions on funding, course cuts and redundancies at academic institutions across Scotland.
“We are here to campaign and get support from the new Scottish Government,” said Dr Morelli, a senior lecturer in economics. “There are very significant financial problems taking place at all universities. Courses are being cut and students are facing problems getting access to education.
“There are also major problems with the governance of universities across Scotland and we need thorough reform.”
The unions say decisions made by unelected university governors lack transparency and accountability.
Penny Gower, president of the EIS Further Education Lecturers Association, cited Carnegie College in Dunfermline as an example of the “unaccountable” way academic institutions are being run.
She called on education secretary Michael Russell to make reform of college governance a priority.’Balkanisation’She said, “Mike Russell talks about the ‘Balkanisation’ of further education, where you’ve got these units that are being run by self-perpetuating unaccountable elites, and that is a real problem.
“If you look at the salaries that principals have been giving to themselves, via the boards of management, they earn more than MSPs.
“The Carnegie College principal who just left was earning £150,000 a year and that’s public money.
“The government is aware of the problem and the dysfunctional decisions that are being made, and we are waiting to see what they will do about it.” UCU Scotland official Mary Senior said she was “particularly concerned” about the way universities are taking decisions to deal with reducing budgets.
She said, “The decision-making process has lacked transparency, openness and involvement and they’re taken by people who are on inflated salaries and are sometimes removed from reality, and don’t have the long-term interests of the sector at heart.
“While I don’t doubt that some of these people have had distinguished academic careers, the trade unions have got a really important role to play for the staff.
“As staff are delivering the service they have a good idea of what can work and what doesn’t work.”
The UCU has lodged a petition to the government petitions committee for an inquiry into the governance of universities.
Prior to the Holyrood election First Minister Alex Salmond said “rocks will melt with the sun” before university fees are introduced in Scotland.
But with universities south of the border charging up to £9000 a year, that has led to fears over a funding gap between England and Scotland.