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Bath university staff vote for senior leaders to resign amid governance row Bath University vice-chancellor survives vote of no confidence
(about 3 hours later)
Staff at the University of Bath have voted unanimously for senior leaders to resign, after a standing-room-only meeting was told that “a culture of fear” fostered by its management was hurting Bath’s reputation. Glynis Breakwell, the beleaguered vice-chancellor of Bath University, made a public apology and narrowly survived a vote of no-confidence by the university’s senate, shortly after a packed meeting of staff called on her to resign.
Academics at the meeting also pledged to hold public protests alongside students next week, when the university’s governing council next meets, to show their concern after a damning investigation into senior pay and governance at the university by its regulator earlier this week. Only 19 of the 37 members of the senate – the body responsible for the university’s academic work – voted in support of Breakwell in the secret ballot on Wednesday afternoon, with 16 voting no confidence in her as vice-chancellor, and two abstentions.
Glynis Breakwell, Bath’s vice-chancellor, is the UK’s highest-paid university leader with earnings and benefits worth £468,000 a year – but the report by Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) found that the decision-making process that led to her recent pay award had been flawed and damaging to the university’s reputation. The vote revealed the bruising controversy that has erupted over Breakwell’s pay and benefits of £468,000 a year, making her the UK’s highest paid vice-chancellor, and the manner it was awarded.
The meeting – called at short notice by three campus unions – attracted more than 300 staff, forcing the organisers to find an overflow room. Earlier, more than 300 staff members attended an emergency meeting on campus, to discuss a report by the higher education regulator which found the decision-making processes involving Breakwell’s pay award had been flawed and damaging to the university’s reputation. The meeting unanimously backed a motion for the vice-chancellor to resign.
According to those present, the meeting included claims of long-term disdain by senior staff for transparency, accountability, as well as what some called a culture of fear in the university, with senior leaders being treated akin to royalty. The senate’s vote to narrowly back Breakwell followed an apology by her for the results of the investigation conducted by the Higher Education Funding Council of England (Hefce), and the lack of transparency and accountability it uncovered.
“I made a mistake. I am sorry. You may rest assured that I will never make a mistake like that again,” she told the senate, according to a statement issued by the university after the meeting.
Hefce launched its investigation after a complaint about proceedings at the annual meeting of the university court in February, when members raised concerns about the vice-chancellor’s pay as well as “the lack of transparency and accountability of the remuneration committee and the decisions the remuneration committee has made in the past year”.
Breakwell was a full member of the remuneration committee that decided to award her pay rises. Members of the committee, including the vice-chancellor, later voted to thwart efforts to examine their decision-making by the university’s court.
She apologised to the senate for her vote on the court motion, breaking her silence in her first public remarks since the controversy broke.
“In relation to the events at the February court meeting, I completely accept that it was badly managed. However, the most important thing is that I accept that I should not have voted on the motion that was put to court,” Breakwell said.
Despite the apology, academic staff at the university said Breakwell’s narrow victory over the no-confidence motion showed that she was rapidly losing support.
Her apology may do little to improve the mood elsewhere on campus, with the staff meeting hearing allegations of “a culture of fear” fostered by its management. The meeting – called at short notice by three campus unions – attracted more than 300 staff, forcing the organisers to find an overflow room.
Staff at the meeting also pledged to join public protests alongside students next week, when the university’s governing council meets on Wednesday.
According to those present, the meeting included claims of long-term disdain for transparency by senior staff, as well as accusations of senior leaders being treated like royalty.
“There was a strong sentiment that enough is enough, and that we will not put up with being bullied into silence any longer. Staff talked about having been at the university for 10 or 20 years but feeling for the first time that they could speak out,” one academic present told the Guardian.
The meeting unanimously carried a motion calling for the immediate resignation of Breakwell and Thomas Sheppard, the chair of the university’s council.The meeting unanimously carried a motion calling for the immediate resignation of Breakwell and Thomas Sheppard, the chair of the university’s council.
“This emergency staff meeting agrees that, in the light of the Hefce report into governance, it is in the interests of the university for the VC and the chair of council to resign with immediate effect,” the motion stated.“This emergency staff meeting agrees that, in the light of the Hefce report into governance, it is in the interests of the university for the VC and the chair of council to resign with immediate effect,” the motion stated.
“It was pretty jaw-dropping – literally not one member of staff there would support the vice-chancellor,” said another staff member said. “The pay isn’t the issue – it’s the greed, mismanagement and lack of leadership. Right now, half a million [pounds] for good leadership seems like a bargain.”
All staff meeting of >300 people has agreed: "This emergency staff meeting agrees that in the light of the HEFCE report into governance it is in the interests of the university for the VC and the Chair of Council to resign with immediate effect." Carried without opposition. @UCUAll staff meeting of >300 people has agreed: "This emergency staff meeting agrees that in the light of the HEFCE report into governance it is in the interests of the university for the VC and the Chair of Council to resign with immediate effect." Carried without opposition. @UCU
Staff at the meeting said there were also calls for improved university governance, including greater representation of staff on its powerful committees.Staff at the meeting said there were also calls for improved university governance, including greater representation of staff on its powerful committees.
Student groups at Bath have said they plan to hold protests during the university council meeting, which is to discuss the Hefce report. Breakwell – who was made a Dame Commander by the Queen in 2012, for services to higher education – is one of the UK’s longest-serving vice-chancellors and, as a woman, was a rarity in that role when she was appointed in 2001.
Hefce launched its investigation after a complaint about governance at the annual meeting of the university court in February, which saw members raise concerns about the vice-chancellor’s pay as well as “the lack of transparency and accountability of the remuneration committee and the decisions the remuneration committee has made in the past year”. Her supporters point to Bath’s improvement during her tenure, rising up an assortment of university league tables and receiving accolades for high-quality research and for teaching in the government’s excellence frameworks. Last year, the Guardian’s university guide placed Bath fifth overall in the UK.
Mike Nicholson, Bath’s director of student recruitment and admissions, has poured cold water over claims that the controversy was tarnishing the university’s attraction to students.
Noting that student application numbers were down nationally, Nicholson said: “At this stage in the cycle, Bath is, if anything, doing better than the national average. We are also proving particularly popular with aspiring computer science and psychology students, with both application rates up this year.”