University chiefs get 9.3% pay rise

University bosses received pay rises well above those of their academic and support staff in 2000/01, research suggests.

After studying the annual reports of 164 institutions across the UK, the Times Higher Educational Supplement (THES) found the average rise for vice-chancellors was 9.3% on the previous year - and some had received rises of over 50%.

The former vice-chancellor of the Open University, Sir John Daniel, topped the THES league table, with a salary of £309,000 - a rise of 102%.

Academic staff have mostly had a rise of 3% - but hardly any vice-chancellors have had a rise so small

Martin Ince, THES

In second place was John Quelch from the London Business School on a salary of £308,000, followed by Sir John Kingman, who, as ex-vice-chancellor of the University of Bristol, saw his pay rise by 98% to £252,000. 

Another receiving a significant pay rise was Frank Gould, who left the University of East London with a salary of £189,000 - 60% more than he earned the previous year.

Deputy editor of the THES Martin Ince said: "Academic staff have mostly had a rise of 3% - but hardly any vice-chancellors have had a rise so small."

Click here to see the top 10 highest paid vice-chancellors

"With resources across higher education under extreme pressure, it is difficult not to sympathize with poorly-funded teaching staff and cash-strapped students weighed down by loans, who will naturally be asking how these huge leaps in vice-chancellors' pay can be justified," said Mr Ince.

"Students are coming out of university with five figure debts, while the people that run the institutions are presumably accumulating rather good salaries."

Pensions boost

Mr Ince was critical of the fact that many vice-chancellors appeared to award themselves large pay rises just before retirement.

"If people do this in their last year - and their pensions are based on their final year's earnings - they're putting a huge charge on the rest of the system for the rest of their lives.

"It's money that could go to other retired academics," said Mr Ince.

'Fat cat mentality'

The Association of University Teachers (AUT) condemned the rises, saying the £20m total awarded in pay increases they would pay for 1,000 new lecturers.

Vice-chancellors' pay is a matter for individual universities

Baroness Warwick, Universities UK

"Yet again we have seen the fat cat mentality of university vice-chancellors triumph over prudent and efficient management," said assistant general secretary Sally Hunt.

"It will be difficult for vice-chancellors to sustain the argument that lecturers and other university staff cannot have a decent pay increase this year when they have presided over such a large boost for themselves."

But Baroness Warwick, chief executive of Universities UK - formerly the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals - defended the increases.

"Vice-chancellors' pay is a matter for individual universities," she said.

"But, clearly, universities will wish the salaries of their vice-chancellors to reflect the fact that they are successfully running multi-million pound businesses."

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Top Ten Earners (Source: THES)

Open University: J Daniel £309,000

LBS: J Quelch £308,000

Bristol: J Kingman £252,000

Imperial: R Sykes/ R Oxburgh £242,000

UEL: F Gould £189,000

London Institute: W Stubbs £181,000

Bath: D VandeLinde £176,000

Aston: M Wright £171,000

London Hygiene Tropical Med: A Haines £166,000

Nottingham Trent: R Cowell £165,000

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