Transparency Plea Over College Pay

Union chiefs have urged the Scottish Government to legislate to end the secretive'' meetings where university principals' pay is set.

The University and College Union claimed two thirds of higher education institutions had failed to provide full, transparent details of the committee meetings where the principal's pay was determined.

The union requested the minutes remuneration committee meetings from 17 Scottish universities using Freedom of Information legislation, but said four had refused to send any details, while eight had blacked out some sections.

Five universities - Glasgow School of Art, Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, Stirling University and Strathclyde University - sent through full minutes from their committees.

The UCU said the responses it received Professor Sir Jim McDonald of

Strathclyde University had spent £33,508 on flights in 2013-14, while Professor Pamela Gillies from Glasgow Caledonian University totalled up hotel bills of £27,271 over the course of the year.

In addition there were 178 staff at Edinburgh University who earned more than £100,000, with 139 staff at the University of Glasgow paid at this level.

UCU Scotland official Mary Senior said: The fact that over two-thirds of Scottish universities are refusing to disclose full details of secretive meetings that set principals' pay, makes a mockery of claims by Universities Scotland that Scottish institutions are setting the benchmark for transparency.

The time has come for the Scottish Government to legislate to reform higher education governance and ensure that our universities are more democratic, representative and transparent.''

Ms Senior added: UCU believes universities are, and must remain, autonomous, independent institutions. However, in return for over a billion pounds of public funding each year, politicians are entitled to demand that robust, transparent governance procedures are in place and underpinned with legislation.''

But a spokeswoman for Universities Scotland said: The detail of the principal's remuneration is published annually by all institutions. The Scottish Code of Good Higher Education Governance implemented in 2013 put in place a mechanism for the governing bodies of every Scottish university, all of which include staff and student members, to set the policies of the remuneration committee, which decides on pay for the principal and senior staff. Each year the governing body can see for itself that decisions made by the remuneration committee comply with these policies.''

She also said: As leaders of higher education institutions which operate in a global higher education marketplace and work extensively with industry, university principals will of course accrue expenses in relation to their work to further the interests of their institutions and Scotland's higher education sector across the UK and around the world.

Universities are involved in many high-value UK and international collaborations and number of Scottish universities run courses and even campuses overseas. Scotland's university principals are committed to running their institutions efficiently and responsibly and apply those same principles to their own work for their institutions. This means expenses accrued will always be in relation to work that is essential to the mission of the university and to fulfilling the university's role in helping Scotland's society and economy, and represent best value for money.

University finances are subject to stringent internal and external oversight to ensure that this remains the case.''

A Scottish Government spokesman said: Ministers have been clear that senior pay packages should be in step with the salary, terms and conditions offered to other staff.

Institutions must ensure the highest standards of transparency in setting pay awards, as recommended by the Von Prondzynski review of higher education governance.

We are currently analysing the consultation responses to our legislative proposals based upon that review.

The Scottish Government wants to enable our universities to embrace more transparent and democratic governance principles and we will take account of the views of all stakeholders before confirming our detailed legislative plans in this area.''