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| Female academics back Bath’s vice-chancellor | Female academics back Bath’s vice-chancellor |
| (2 months later) | |
| Letters | |
| Fri 24 Nov 2017 18.39 GMT | |
| Last modified on Mon 27 Nov 2017 13.12 GMT | |
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| Being a successful woman seems to attract a disproportionate degree of negative criticism (Vice-chancellor survives no confidence vote, 23 November). Since becoming vice-chancellor of the University of Bath in 2001, Glynis Breakwell has led the university from strength to strength as measured by external assessment. This includes gold status in the teaching excellence framework, one of the top 12 universities in the UK in the research excellence framework, and ranked fifth-best university in the UK by the Guardian University 2018 guide. The university makes an important contribution to the local community and economy. | Being a successful woman seems to attract a disproportionate degree of negative criticism (Vice-chancellor survives no confidence vote, 23 November). Since becoming vice-chancellor of the University of Bath in 2001, Glynis Breakwell has led the university from strength to strength as measured by external assessment. This includes gold status in the teaching excellence framework, one of the top 12 universities in the UK in the research excellence framework, and ranked fifth-best university in the UK by the Guardian University 2018 guide. The university makes an important contribution to the local community and economy. |
| As women academics we are proud to be members of the university and to acknowledge the leadership and support that Glynis Breakwell has provided. Aspects of the governance of the university have been criticised in the recent report from the Higher Education Funding Council. The university urgently needs to address these issues. This involves us all, working together. We think it is time to leave the personalised attacks on the vice-chancellor behind, recognise what we have achieved as a university, and focus on bringing in the necessary governance changes.Julie Barnett Professor, health psychologyMarion Harney Senior lecturer, architecture and civil engineeringNancy Harding Professor, managementMary Hayden Professor, educationVeronica Hope-Hailey Professor, managementFurong Li Professor, electronic and electrical engineeringJane Millar Professor, social policyCathryn Mitchell Professor, electronic and electrical engineeringCarole Mundell Professor, physicsRajani Naidoo Professor, managementLinda Newnes Professor, mechanical engineeringSemali Perera Professor, chemical engineeringNancy Puccinelli Professor, managementAnne Rixom Professor, managementJuani Swart Professor, management | As women academics we are proud to be members of the university and to acknowledge the leadership and support that Glynis Breakwell has provided. Aspects of the governance of the university have been criticised in the recent report from the Higher Education Funding Council. The university urgently needs to address these issues. This involves us all, working together. We think it is time to leave the personalised attacks on the vice-chancellor behind, recognise what we have achieved as a university, and focus on bringing in the necessary governance changes.Julie Barnett Professor, health psychologyMarion Harney Senior lecturer, architecture and civil engineeringNancy Harding Professor, managementMary Hayden Professor, educationVeronica Hope-Hailey Professor, managementFurong Li Professor, electronic and electrical engineeringJane Millar Professor, social policyCathryn Mitchell Professor, electronic and electrical engineeringCarole Mundell Professor, physicsRajani Naidoo Professor, managementLinda Newnes Professor, mechanical engineeringSemali Perera Professor, chemical engineeringNancy Puccinelli Professor, managementAnne Rixom Professor, managementJuani Swart Professor, management |
| • Those defending the £468,000 salary of Bath University’s vice-chancellor claim that under her leadership the university has improved its league-table rankings and received accolades both for the quality of its teaching and its research. Has Ms Breakwell done any of this wonderful teaching or research? Or have these core activities actually been performed by overstretched academic staff whose reward has been an eight-year pay freeze, cuts to their pensions, constant threats of redundancy, ever-increasing workloads and targets, and a macho-management regime causing widespread stress, demoralisation and fear.Pete DoreyBath | • Those defending the £468,000 salary of Bath University’s vice-chancellor claim that under her leadership the university has improved its league-table rankings and received accolades both for the quality of its teaching and its research. Has Ms Breakwell done any of this wonderful teaching or research? Or have these core activities actually been performed by overstretched academic staff whose reward has been an eight-year pay freeze, cuts to their pensions, constant threats of redundancy, ever-increasing workloads and targets, and a macho-management regime causing widespread stress, demoralisation and fear.Pete DoreyBath |
| • In the context of reports about tax avoidance, university vice-chancellors are not overpaid. The shift of power from academics to administrators in matters of teaching and research has given rise to a new breed of academic managers skilled in gaming the rules of a myriad of constantly changing bureaucratic methods for the assessment of teaching and research. Academic managers have come to resemble tax accountants. If these accountants continue to be paid vast sums for their shameless pursuit of greed, it would be unfair to pay university management, not just vice-chancellors, any less.SP ChakravartyBangor, Gwynedd | • In the context of reports about tax avoidance, university vice-chancellors are not overpaid. The shift of power from academics to administrators in matters of teaching and research has given rise to a new breed of academic managers skilled in gaming the rules of a myriad of constantly changing bureaucratic methods for the assessment of teaching and research. Academic managers have come to resemble tax accountants. If these accountants continue to be paid vast sums for their shameless pursuit of greed, it would be unfair to pay university management, not just vice-chancellors, any less.SP ChakravartyBangor, Gwynedd |
| • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com | • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com |
| • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters | • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters |
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