Former Edinburgh Uni Rectors Speak Out Over Proposed Governance Changes
Former rectors of Edinburgh University have spoken out against proposed changes to the way universities are governed.
They have expressed extreme concern'' that measures contained in Scottish Government legislation areseeking to abolish the right of rectors to chair university courts and to downgrade the position of rector to one a university can choose to continue or not''.
A letter signed by politicians Lord David Steel and Sir Tam Dalyell, football commentator Archie Macpherson, author Muriel Gray and musician Donnie Munro calls on the Government to rethink its plans.
It is also signed by footballer John Colquhoun, Scottish neurologist Malcolm Macleod and journalist Jonathon WG Wills.
The Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Bill would standardise the way chairs of university courts are elected across Scotland.
Currently, the universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews all have elected rectors who represent students.
Rectors also chair meetings of the courts which run universities.
However there are fears the Bill will reduce the role of students in selecting and voting for rectors, and threaten the right of democratically elected rectors to chair university courts.
The letter says: The rector is part of the Scottish academic tradition and part of our democracy, which should be preserved.
We are extremely concerned that the Scottish Government in its proposed legislation on university governance is seeking to abolish the right of rectors to chair university courts and to downgrade the position of rector to one a university can choose to continue or not.
The position of rector was introduced to bring democracy and transparency to the governance of universities and it has managed to do this successfully for many years.
We feel that the proposals in the Scottish Government's Bill takes away an ancient democratic right unique to Scotland and seeks to replace it with a system where the chair of the university's highest governing body will be someone pre-approved and vetted by a government process.''
It comes as Gordon Brown, another former Edinburgh University rector, also attacked the Government's plans.
In a letter to Nicola Sturgeon, the former prime minister said: It cannot be right that in 2015, at a time when we are opening up public appointments to both scrutiny and election, that we replace a democratic right that ensures transparency with a new law that may mean that instead of democratic election the chair of the university's highest governing body is pre-approved and vetted from outside by a government process.''
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: Rectors play an important role in the 'ancient' institutions, raising the profile of the sector and representing students. The Scottish Government is clear that there is no intention at all to abolish the position of rector.
The Scottish Government will not be involved in the appointment of an individual chair at any institution so the suggestion of government exerting greater direct control over the sector is just wrong.
Over the summer, we asked all higher education stakeholders, including current rectors, about their views on how a model for elected chairs of court might work in practice.
As the Higher Education Bill progresses through Parliament, we will continue to listen to all constructive views and suggestions made.''