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Highest paid uni vice-chancellor will receive full pay even after stepping down

Glynis Breakwell has announced she will be stepping down from her v-c post at Bath University, after an outcry about her salary of £468K.

Discontent has been growing amongst university staff since another pay rise of £17,000 last year. Breakwell narrowly survived a vote of no confidence by the university's senior academic body last week, and has resigned two days before the next council meeting.

From The Guardian:

The Guardian

Her departure was precipitated by a damning report from the Higher Education Funding Council for England, after it investigated the university council meeting in February in which she voted to suppress criticism of the remuneration committee’s decision to raise her pay in 2016.

Breakwell was also a member of the remuneration committee that since 2011 had hiked her pay dramatically, by nearly £200,000 in the space of five years.

The decision to raise her pay by a further £50,000 for 2016 caused widespread dismay within Bath as it catapulted Breakwell into being the highest paid vice chancellor in the country. The mood among staff darkened as research by UCU found that Bath was one of the most enthusiastic adopters of zero-hours contracts for its staff.

However, it has emerged that Breakwell is technically taking a sabbatical before retiring in early 2019, meaning she will still be on full salary until retirement.

The Guardian

Union leaders at Bath expressed their anger at the decision, and calculated that – including the write-off of a £31,000 car loan – Breakwell will receive a further £600,000 from now until she goes.

What do you think about this? Is the salary too high for a Vice Chancellor? According to an easy google search, it looks like the top ten highest paid v-c's are all paid over £380K, so why is only Breakwell being targeted on this?

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

Zerforax

Obviously thought stepping down would get the headlines and she could continue to take the money before retiring as planned.

I'm sure once this VC is dealt with, the mob will move onto the next one until it forces all the Unis to have a rethink.

Reply 2

Heyok

This world is such an unfair place.

Reply 3

generallee

I can understand someone earning a top decile salary for the sector if they head up a top notch university. But Bath???

The pay off is pretty much par for the course at the highest levels of business. Just how it is. You have to do something really bad not to get one, and that in effect is what it is.

Reply 4

Good bloke

Original post by Fox Corner

it looks like the top ten highest paid v-c's are all paid over £380K, so why is only Breakwell being targeted on this?

Well, maybe because her university is quite small and not in the southeast, and the average salary of her employees is very average while her salary is at the top of the UK scale?

Reply 5

Fox Corner

Original post by Good bloke

Well, maybe because her university is quite small and not in the southeast, and the average salary of her employees is very average while her salary is at the top of the UK scale?

True - however the v-c of Exeter is on £426K and there are only 20,000 students there and Bath has 15,000. In the scheme of things, I feel like these are quite similar?

Reply 6

Good bloke

Original post by Fox Corner

True - however the v-c of Exeter is on £426K and there are only 20,000 students there and Bath has 15,000. In the scheme of things, I feel like these are quite similar?

I agree. I suspect the v-c of Exeter knows a good parapet when (s)he sees it and can keep his/her head down behind it. Taking an over-paid sabbatical is just taking the mickey. As I said in another thread, it is nominative determinism gone mad when Dame Glynis Breakwell resigns and gets a paid year-iong holiday while living in a tied five-bedroom listed house.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 7

Doones

Ahem... https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5030376#primary_content

@Fox Corner :smile:

Reply 8

Fox Corner

Original post by Doonesbury

Ahem... https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5030376#primary_content

@Fox Corner :smile:

Ahhh... context! :parrot:

Reply 9

AuroraNyx

I remember years ago Bangor's VC was targeted for having an absurd salary, this is nothing new. She'll step down, and then we'll look at the next-largest.

Reply 10

the bear

she is paid more than Burnley FC's Sean Dyche who somehow scrapes by on a measly £420 000

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/419111418517278720/jAZLmi-k_400x400.jpeg

smh

Reply 11

She-Ra

Universities Forum Helper

University pensions are amazing, they'll be OK :wink:

I wonder if the Southampton VC will step down next.... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/university-vice-chancellor-increase-salaries-incomes-minister-jo-johnson-higher-education-a7814501.html

One of the highest paid VCs but one of the Russell Group unis to get bronze in the TEF.... (also LSE and Liverpool)

Reply 12

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by She-Ra

University pensions are amazing, they'll be OK :wink:

I wonder if the Southampton VC will step down next.... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/university-vice-chancellor-increase-salaries-incomes-minister-jo-johnson-higher-education-a7814501.html

One of the highest paid VCs but the only Russell Group to get bronze in the TEF....

Not until after he's made a whole bunch of staff redundant....
https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/education/southampton-university-advertises-chauffeur-announcing-75-job-cuts/
(and that's just the academic staff cuts - they're scrapping support staff posts too)

Reply 13

She-Ra

Universities Forum Helper

It's just so disappointing and tarnishes the whole university community.

That's terrible.... they need to be investing in their academic staff and pastoral care too.

I think the impact of this is going to be felt over the next couple of years and they'll really start to struggle....

Original post by PQ

Reply 14

Notoriety

Original post by She-Ra

University pensions are amazing, they'll be OK :wink:

I wonder if the Southampton VC will step down next.... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/university-vice-chancellor-increase-salaries-incomes-minister-jo-johnson-higher-education-a7814501.html

One of the highest paid VCs but the only Russell Group to get bronze in the TEF....

Are LSE and Liverpool not in the Russell Group?

Isn't it your job to know this stuff?

Reply 15

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by Notorious_B.I.G.

Are LSE and Liverpool not in the Russell Group?

Isn't it your job to know this stuff?

Pretty sure that's not in the job description of anyone

And the Minister for Education isn't gunning for Liverpool or LSE

Reply 16

humanteaparty

No Vice-Chancellor is worth that amount of money.

Reply 17

She-Ra

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by Notorious_B.I.G.

Are LSE and Liverpool not in the Russell Group?

Isn't it your job to know this stuff?

Sorry, of course! You're absolutely right, but you don't have to be rude about it, we're all human.

Unfortunately I'm not rainman and I can't remember every position in the TEF and league tables.....

Edited post 12

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 18

Snufkin

Universities Forum Helper

I saw a clip of her talking at a Bath graduation ceremony. She literally told (one might almost say pleaded with) the audience to tell anyone who would listen that Bath is a great university. Nice marketing strategy, not sure it's worth £400k tho.

Reply 19

Doones

Original post by CastCuraga

I remember years ago Bangor's VC was targeted for having an absurd salary, this is nothing new. She'll step down, and then we'll look at the next-largest.

It's not just universities, our local further education college CEO paid herself over £360k - but was eventually forced to resign after alleged dodgy dealings were uncovered.