Dundee University dental school merger paused after principal’s abrupt exit

Plans to merge Dundee University’s dental and nursing schools have been put on hold after the abrupt resignation of principal Iain Gillespie.

Staff were told the proposal had been paused within hours of the under-fire professor quitting his £305,000 a year role with immediate effect.

Dundee University had insisted the plans were rooted in academic rather than financial considerations, despite coming as they face a £30 million deficit.

But staff at the dental school, founded in 1914, raised serious concerns about the process.

At a meeting last week, Dean of the dentistry school, Professor Philip Preshaw, was quizzed by concerned academics.

Despite the university claiming the move was to improve teaching, Mr Preshaw told staff at the meeting that the university “had to save on costs”.

Insiders said the plans come out of blue with no consultation.

‘Knee jerk reaction’

One source described it as a “knee jerk reaction” to the financial crisis by Dundee University’s “beleaguered” university managers.

Staff asked to see a business case or cost benefit analysis for the merger but were told none were available.

A university spokesman told The Courier: “Following announcement of the proposed merger of the Schools of Dentistry and Health Sciences, we are reviewing feedback from staff and students and also taking time to pause and reflect in light of the resignation of the principal.

“We will update staff and students in both schools in due course.”

Iain Gillespie’s resignation was announced on Friday morning weeks after he told staff that job losses were inevitable as a result of institution’s financial crisis.

He faced intense criticism over “largesse” at the top of the university, including spending on his own business-class flights and stays at 5-star hotels.

Dundee-based North East MSP Michael Marra, who worked at the university for over a decade before entering parliament, said there had been a “disastrous failure of management”.

He called for government intervention to install a “turnaround task force” at the university.