Transparency at the top?
4 March 2015
Each year we send Freedom of Information Act (FOI) requests to UK higher education institutions designed to shine a light on the arbitrary nature of senior pay and perks in universities, and support the union's call for reform.
This includes information about senior pay, spending on flights, hotels and accommodation as well as the ratified minutes of the institution's remuneration committee.
Full reports
Transparency at the Top? The fifth report of senior pay and perks at UK universities, May 2019 [1mb]
Transparency at the top? The third report of senior pay and perks in UK universities, Feb 17 [2mb]
Transparency at the top? Senior pay and perks in UK universities, Mar 15 [1mb]
Snapshot of VC pay decisions
The snapshot below is from 2014 when UCU asked to see the minutes of remuneration committees - the powerful committee tasked with setting the vice-chancellor's pay. Just 27 out of 139 institutions agreed to share these minutes and reveals the inherent secrecy of these decisions taken in UK higher education.
| A | B | C | DE | FG | H | IJK | L | M | N | OPQ | R | S | TU | WY |
Did not respond: Minutes not sent: | Minutes not sent (cont): |
Full minutes provided:
- Aberystwyth University
- Anglia Ruskin University
- Aston University
Full minutes provided:
- Bangor University
- Birmingham City University
Full minutes provided:
- Cardiff Metropolitan University
- Cardiff University
- Chester, University of
- Cranfield University
- East Anglia, University of
- Exeter, University of
Full minutes provided:
- Glasgow School of Art
- Glasgow, University of
- Greenwich, University of
- Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Full minutes provided:
- Institute of Education
Full minutes provided:
- Leeds College of Art
- Liverpool John Moores University
- London Metropolitan University
Full minutes provided:
- Middlesex University
Full minutes provided:
- Norwich University of the Arts
Full minutes provided:
- The Open University
- Queen Margaret University
- Queen's University Belfast
Full minutes provided:
- Reading, University of
- Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
- Royal Holloway, University of London
- Royal Northern College of Music
Full minutes provided:
- Sheffield Hallam University
- St Mary's University College Belfast
- St Andrews, University of
- Stirling, University of
- Strathclyde, University of
- Surrey, University of
- Swansea University
Full minutes provided:
- University of Ulster
Full minutes provided:
- West of England, University of
- Westminster, University of
- Wolverhampton, University of
- Worcester, University of
- Wales, Trinity St David, University of
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