Uni bosses' pay on a par with the prime minister after huge rises

The union said calls from vice-chancellors for higher student fees and restraints in staff pay looked distasteful next to their own exorbitant increases.
 
The Times Higher Education's annual survey of staff pay in higher education, released today, reveals that vice-chancellors' average pay is now £193,970 – thanks to a 9% pay rise between the academic years of 2006-07 and 2007-08. Academic staff in comparison received just a 5.7% rise at that time and an average salary of £43,686. That pay rise for staff was part of a three-year deal that vice-chancellors have said was at the brink of affordability.

'When staff are being warned pay increases may lead to redundancies, it is quite incredible and rather distasteful that vice-chancellors again have enjoyed such exorbitant pay rises'
Sally Hunt
UCU general secretary

The highest earner was Sir Colin Campbell whose 90% pay increase saw him pocket a salary and benefits package worth £585,000. The inflation-busting 9% rise across the board means the average pay of £193,970 that vice-chancellors received was on a par with the prime minister's 2008 salary of £194,250.
 
Key figures from the survey:

• the overall increase in vice-chancellors' pay was 9 per cent from 2006/7 to 2007/8, up from the 8 per cent increase enjoyed the previous year
• the average pension contribution for a vice-chancellor was £26,129, a 16 per cent increase on the previous year
• the average vice-chancellor pay was £193,970
• academics earned an average of £43,486 – a 5.7 per cent increase on the previous year
• seventy-one vice-chancellors enjoyed a salary bigger than the prime minister
• sixty-three vice-chancellors earned more than £200,000 and four earned more than £300,000
• in total, the UK's heads of universities were paid over £30 million.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'In the week when universities have come out calling for higher university fees and staff are being warned that any pay increases may lead to redundancies, it is quite incredible and rather distasteful that vice-chancellors again have enjoyed such exorbitant pay rises.
 
'These staff pay rises date from the middle of a three-year pay deal that we were told was at the brink of affordability. That vice-chancellors were pocketing close to twice the pay rise they begrudged staff at the time is extraordinary. It should not come as a surprise that staff are sometimes sceptical when their 'leaders' ask for belts to be tightened. Nor should the government or universities be surprised that the public are outraged when university leaders call for increased fees and greater student debt.'
 
The full figures are available from Times Higher Education.