Lecturers call for greater trade union involvement in university governance

The union said the current arrangements did not guarantee levels of transparency required when universities' decision-making bodies took decisions in areas worth thousands of taxpayers' pounds or the future of nationally important departments or degrees.

Giving evidence to Education and Culture Committee, the union went as far as to question the impartiality of some institutions' courts and called for greater staff involvement.

UCU Scotland official, Mary Senior, said: 'Our members have reported that the consultative process on the new university governance code has been limited and not even minuted. Despite a review of governance, chaired by Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski calling for greater involvement from students and staff, the new code is being developed without their involvement.

'If we are serious about widening access and holding our institutions to account, staff and students must be central to developing governance structures that ensure proper transparency of universities' decisions and their decision-making processes.

Speaking about university tuition fees, Mary Senior said: 'We oppose the introduction of variable fees for students from the rest of the UK. Education should be free for all but at the very least we should not be introducing the market-driven system favoured by some principals and chairs of courts'

UCU gave evidence as part of a panel to the Education and Culture Committee of the Scottish Parliament