Repeated calls for pay restraint among university vice-chancellors is “potentially dangerous” for the higher education sector as it could reduce the pool of candidates willing to lead institutions, a paper suggests.
The latest Higher Education Statistics Agency figures show that five universities in the UK paid their vice-chancellors more than half a million pounds in salary and benefits last year. The paper says, in terms of basic salary, 170 UK vice-chancellors earn more than the prime minister – who is paid a basic salary of around £164,000 a year.
It suggests: “Repeating a mantra about the need for pay restraint among higher education leaders, whether by politicians, unions, the media and the regulator, is potentially dangerous for the higher education sector. But the report also calls on universities to consider reviewing remuneration rates, as well as terms and conditions, of staff across all roles as many academics “have short term contracts with limited benefits.”