Staff at Dundee University have hit out at a pay bump given to principal Iain Gillespie months before he confirmed job losses due to a £30 million black hole.
Records from a meeting of the university’s governing body reveal an uplift for the principal and other bosses was agreed in April at the same meeting where financial challenges were discussed.
Professor Iain Gillespie, who is also the vice-chancellor, earns £305,000 a year and also has access to a generous expense account.
Senior members of staff at the university include former Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander, appointed on a salary of over £170,000.
University struggles to balance books
It comes after we revealed a failure to recruit enough fee-paying international students had left Dundee University struggling to balance the books.
Staff were told job losses are “inevitable” as the institution grapples with a massive £30 million budget shortfall.
An insider told The Courier the news had been “hard to swallow” while senior managers pocket big salaries.
Prof Gillespie told staff the coming years would be “difficult” after a significant drop in international student recruitment.
Scottish students do not pay tuition fees.
The government provides around 85p of public funding for every £1 it costs to teach and support Scottish undergraduates.
The Scottish Government is only prepared to fund so many places, meaning there is an effective cap on the number of Scottish students who can be accepted.
The funding gap has previously been plugged by recruiting international students – some of whom are charged over £50,000 a year.
Despite the external challenges, The Courier understands some staff questioned why jobs are being put at risk before savings are made at the top.
University chiefs told to look at their salaries
One insider told The Courier: “We’re being told savings have to be made and that the university must live within it means while members of the executive group are taking home huge salaries.
“It does make it hard to swallow and the principal should re-consider accepting his pay rise. That should have been his first step.”
A spokesman for Dundee University said the pay award had been based on performance in the last academic year.
He said: “University executive group salaries are approved by the remuneration Committee in line with our policy principles of fairness, equity, consistency and transparency and are based on national benchmark data.
“This committee includes lay members of the University Court, as well as staff and student representation.”
Opposition politicians blamed government policy for the financial situation facing Dundee and other Scottish universities.
Scottish Conservative MSP for the North East, Maurice Golden, said:
“Dundee University is undoubtedly suffering from a major financial headache along with the rest of the sector.
“It has a world class reputation but this is being put at risk by the SNP’s lack of support.
“The SNP government’s unofficial cap on places for Scottish students has directly contributed to courses being cut. This has left areas of its operation facing a large deficit.
“And further tinkering with National Insurance by the Labour government at Westminster will be a big blow to the university’s coffers.”
Conversation