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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/nov/30/bath-students-and-staff-protest-over-vice-chancellors-exit-package
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| Bath students and staff protest over vice-chancellor's exit package | Bath students and staff protest over vice-chancellor's exit package |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Hundreds of angry Bath students and staff have gathered to protest against the generous pay and exit package awarded to the university’s departing vice-chancellor, Glynis Breakwell. | Hundreds of angry Bath students and staff have gathered to protest against the generous pay and exit package awarded to the university’s departing vice-chancellor, Glynis Breakwell. |
| Representatives of the three campus staff unions, including Unite, Unison and the University and College Union, were delighted with the show of support at the centre of Bath’s campus even though Breakwell had announced on Tuesday she would retire next year. | Representatives of the three campus staff unions, including Unite, Unison and the University and College Union, were delighted with the show of support at the centre of Bath’s campus even though Breakwell had announced on Tuesday she would retire next year. |
| “If those in charge still suffered under the misapprehension that they commanded any respect at Bath, they got their answer today,” said Michael Carley, UCU’s branch president, who estimated the crowd at 1,000. | “If those in charge still suffered under the misapprehension that they commanded any respect at Bath, they got their answer today,” said Michael Carley, UCU’s branch president, who estimated the crowd at 1,000. |
| Bath University has been embroiled in a row over Breakwell’s pay. She is the highest paid vice-chancellor in the country earning £468,000 a year at a time when student debts are rising. Earlier this week she said she would step down next year, after weeks of complaints about the level of her income. | Bath University has been embroiled in a row over Breakwell’s pay. She is the highest paid vice-chancellor in the country earning £468,000 a year at a time when student debts are rising. Earlier this week she said she would step down next year, after weeks of complaints about the level of her income. |
| For more than three hours on Thursday evening the crowd packed the campus’s core, known as the plaza, some setting off coloured smoke flares, while others entered the building below the council chamber, where the university’s most senior administrative body was to meet before being relocated. | For more than three hours on Thursday evening the crowd packed the campus’s core, known as the plaza, some setting off coloured smoke flares, while others entered the building below the council chamber, where the university’s most senior administrative body was to meet before being relocated. |
| Bearing placards reading “Bin the Glynn”, some protesters distributed packets of biscuits, a motif of complaints against Breakwell after it emerged that the £20,000-worth of expenses claimed for her university-owned house included £2 for biscuits. | Bearing placards reading “Bin the Glynn”, some protesters distributed packets of biscuits, a motif of complaints against Breakwell after it emerged that the £20,000-worth of expenses claimed for her university-owned house included £2 for biscuits. |
| The size of the protest – said to be the largest seen on Bath’s Claverton Down campus – showed the levels of discontent remaining after it was revealed that Breakwell’s retirement would include six months’ sabbatical on full pay. | The size of the protest – said to be the largest seen on Bath’s Claverton Down campus – showed the levels of discontent remaining after it was revealed that Breakwell’s retirement would include six months’ sabbatical on full pay. |
| “Buy your own bloody biscuits,” read one sign in the crowd. Others used the biscuits to pepper the windows of the council’s meeting room. | “Buy your own bloody biscuits,” read one sign in the crowd. Others used the biscuits to pepper the windows of the council’s meeting room. |
| Another protester, dressed as Santa Claus, held a sign: “Senior management are ALL on the naughty list!” | Another protester, dressed as Santa Claus, held a sign: “Senior management are ALL on the naughty list!” |
| “I’ve never seen students, let alone Bath students, this engaged,” said John Sessions, an economics professor who had called for Breakwell’s resignation. | “I’ve never seen students, let alone Bath students, this engaged,” said John Sessions, an economics professor who had called for Breakwell’s resignation. |
| The demonstration was timed to coincide with the meeting of the council, attended by Breakwell, which is said to have approved the terms of Breakwell’s retirement package in a hurried email vote earlier this week. | The demonstration was timed to coincide with the meeting of the council, attended by Breakwell, which is said to have approved the terms of Breakwell’s retirement package in a hurried email vote earlier this week. |
| The meeting was to have been a focus of staff and student efforts to put pressure on Breakwell following stringent criticism from the higher education regulator, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, in its report into corporate governance involving Breakwell’s recent £50,000 pay rise. | The meeting was to have been a focus of staff and student efforts to put pressure on Breakwell following stringent criticism from the higher education regulator, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, in its report into corporate governance involving Breakwell’s recent £50,000 pay rise. |
| After remaining silent throughout the controversy, Breakwell gave interviews following her resignation in which she defended her salary. | After remaining silent throughout the controversy, Breakwell gave interviews following her resignation in which she defended her salary. |
| “I think the amount that I’m being paid is actually associated with the sort of global competition that exists now for leadership within universities,” Breakwell told ITV. | “I think the amount that I’m being paid is actually associated with the sort of global competition that exists now for leadership within universities,” Breakwell told ITV. |
| But asked if someone could do a good job as vice-chancellor on £150,000 a year, Breakwell said: “Somebody could, yes.” | But asked if someone could do a good job as vice-chancellor on £150,000 a year, Breakwell said: “Somebody could, yes.” |
| Joe Rayment, a Bath Labour councillor, has laid a new complaint to Hefce over Breakwell’s sabbatical, which he claims breaks the university’s own rules. | Joe Rayment, a Bath Labour councillor, has laid a new complaint to Hefce over Breakwell’s sabbatical, which he claims breaks the university’s own rules. |
| “This is clearly not a ‘sabbatical’ in any meaningful sense,” Rayment said in a letter to Hefce’s chief executive . | “This is clearly not a ‘sabbatical’ in any meaningful sense,” Rayment said in a letter to Hefce’s chief executive . |
| “I propose that this is in fact a golden handshake which has been relabelled in order to avoid scrutiny.” | “I propose that this is in fact a golden handshake which has been relabelled in order to avoid scrutiny.” |
| After attracting mounting internal criticism – including a vote of no confidence by staff last week – over the process that saw her become the UK’s highest paid university leader, Breakwell announced her retirement on Tuesday. | After attracting mounting internal criticism – including a vote of no confidence by staff last week – over the process that saw her become the UK’s highest paid university leader, Breakwell announced her retirement on Tuesday. |
| But the announcement that she would step down in August next year said Breakwell would continue on full pay until the start of March 2019, with unions calculating she would receive a total of £600,000 from the time of her resignation announcement. | But the announcement that she would step down in August next year said Breakwell would continue on full pay until the start of March 2019, with unions calculating she would receive a total of £600,000 from the time of her resignation announcement. |
| Her contract also allowed for the university to write-off a £31,000 car loan that she had received in 2002, according to the three campus unions. | Her contract also allowed for the university to write-off a £31,000 car loan that she had received in 2002, according to the three campus unions. |
| After her retirement announcement, the university said that “no payments for loss of employment or office will be made to her”. But a spokesperson later confirmed that Breakwell would remain on full pay until the start of March 2019. | After her retirement announcement, the university said that “no payments for loss of employment or office will be made to her”. But a spokesperson later confirmed that Breakwell would remain on full pay until the start of March 2019. |
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