University of Stirling staff and students hit out at the institution last week after its principal was awarded a £119,000 salary increase in two years.
Professor Sir Gerry McCormac now earns £414,000 annually, or £438,000 per year, including pension contributions, making him Scotland’s best-paid higher education boss.
This equates to around £18,000 in take-home pay per month.
The university argues the wage is set by the university’s Remunerations Committee, “at a level that is appropriate to the size and scale of the job.”
But who is on the committee, and what are their salary-setting credentials? Here’s what you need to know.
What is the Remunerations Committee’s purpose?
According to the University of Stirling, the committee “undertakes a review of professorial and senior University Services staff salaries, including that of the Principal, on an annual basis.”
Currently, six people make up the committee.
All of them are also members of the university court, which is Stirling University’s governing body
The court has overall responsibility for the management of university resources and the “ongoing strategic direction of the university”. It also makes decisions on any major developments.
Does the Remunerations Committee get paid?
The University of Stirling’s most recent financial statement states the chair of the university court received payment totalling £21,605 in the 2023-24 year.
In 2022-2023, the chair received £22,000.
The only other money paid to court members during that time was awarded to cover “out-of-pocket expenses.”
What are other University of Stirling staff members being paid?
The university says it has around 1,652 members of full-time staff across all roles, including in academic, administration and catering departments, to name a few.
The median wage of all employees is £45,053, meaning Sir Gerry is paid nine times the average staff member, though many salaries will fall below this figure.
Thirty University of Stirling employees are deemed “higher paid” by the institution, making between £100,000 and £229,999 per year, excluding employer’s pension contributions.
There is at least one staff member in every pay bracket between those two figures, aside from £180,000-£189,999.
The latest figures show 10 people taking home salaries of between £130,000 and £139,999 annually. In 2023, three individuals fell into that bracket.
Six university staff make between £140,000 and £149,999 per year, up from three last year.
Who is on the Stirling University Remunerations Committee?
Susan Gordon Hardy, chair
As well as heading up the Remunerations Committee, Susan Gordon Hardy has been vice-chair of the university court since December 2019.
Ms Gordon Hardy is described as “an experienced corporate lawyer and board level advisor.”
She studied law at the University of Glasgow and in the United States, going on to work as a solicitor in London and Hong Kong, where she reached partner level, advising multinational fund management groups.
Alongside the remunerations committee, Ms Gordon Hardy is a member of Stirling University’s Governance and Nominations Committee, and its Joint Policy, Planning and Resources Committee.
She is also a University of Stirling pension scheme trustee.
Harry Adam
Harry Adam became chair of Stirling’s university court in June 2021, following 17 years as a court member, with time spent as both deputy and acting chair.
He joined the Remunerations Committee in 2012.
Mr Adam studied at the University of Stirling himself, graduating with a BA in history and politics in 1980.
He spent much of his career working in senior human resources management positions, and is currently a board member and audit committee chair for ConstructionSkills.
On top of his university court and Remunerations Committee roles, Mr Adam is also a member of Stirling University’s Academic Promotions Committee, its Combined Joint Negotiation and Consultation Committee, the Governance and Nominations Committee, and the University Research Ethics Committee.
Leen Ali
Leen Ali is the current president of the University of Stirling’s Students’ Union, after being voted in by her fellow students in 2023 and re-elected last year.
She is also a trustee of the Students’ Union.
An international student from Sudan, Ms Ali is studying a bachelor’s degree in sociology and social policy.
She became a university court member when she was elected as president, and also sits on the following committees: Remunerations, Governance and Nominations, Health and Safety, Joint Policy, Planning and Resources.
Hamish Grossart
Another University of Stirling alumnus, businessman Hamish Grossart has worked across many industries in high profile roles, including retail, oil and gas, and investment banking.
The university describes him as having “over 35 years boardroom experience, primarily in listed groups.”
Alongside his Remuneration Committee duties, Mr Grossart has been a lay member of the university court since 2017 and also sits on both the Governance and Nominations and Joint Policy, Planning and Resources Committees.
Dr Mary Allison
Dr Mary Allison is also a university court lay member, as well as a Remuneration Committee participant.
In the past, she has worked in senior roles across the worlds of sport, fitness and healthcare, as well as with several charities.
In 2021, she completed a PhD at the University of Edinburgh.
Gary Fleming
Representing trade union members in the university’s professional services staff on the university court, Gary Fleming is also Unison’s Stirling University secretary.
He sits on the Combined Joint Negotiation and Consultation Committee, as well as the Remunerations Committee.
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