NUS Demands Scot Unis Change

The people running Scotland's universities are too often male, pale and stale'', a student body has said.

National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland said a radical shake-up of university governance was needed to make higher education institutions more democratic and transparent.

The union is calling for a curb on the extortionate'' pay of university principals and senior management, as well as more representation for women and elected chairs on governing bodies.

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on a Higher Education Governance Bill aimed at enhancing and improving'' university governance.

In its response to the consultation, which closes tomorrow, NUS Scotland said the Bill should go further in its proposals, which include ensuring membership of governing bodies is fully representative''.

Gordon Maloney, president of NUS Scotland, said: At the moment, Scottish universities are too often run by the same types of people - usually male, pale and stale - without real accountability to students and staff.

The extortionate pay packages awarded to principals and the embarrassingly low numbers of women on governing boards show what a lack of democracy can do to our institutions.

We need to see universities become grounded in the community they serve, meaning that students and staff have a far greater say over how they're run.

Universities aren't businesses and should care about more than just the financial bottom line.

That's why we want to see these changes, including elected chairs, so that the people running our institutions are chosen democratically.''

A spokeswoman for Universities Scotland said: University governance is based on an inclusive model with staff, students and independent members drawn from Scotland's public, private and third sectors sitting on the governing bodies that take the strategic decisions.

There has already been significant reform over the last eighteen months, in the form of a new code, which staff and students have been a part of and which has further strengthened transparency and accountability.

Staff and students already have a role in the appointment and appraisal of the two most senior roles in a university, the principal and the chair.

Equality and diversity is an issue that universities take very seriously and we have been delighted to see the gender balance amongst the position of chairs shift significantly in the last year with women appointed on merit to fill five out of the last six vacancies.''

She added: The new reforms should be given a chance to bed in and fully take effect rather than rushing into further action, particularly when our university sector performs so strongly, including leading on student satisfaction, employability and research performance.''