"Can you imagine any other place in which a customer would pay that much money and be treated this badly?"
The three-figure pay cheques received by university bosses are justified because they are running ‘big business’, a vice chancellor has argued in defence of his salary.
Speaking on BBC Newsnight when challenged on the large salaries received by vice chancellors of UK universities, as students struggle under large university debt, University of Hertfordshire vice chancellor Professor Quintin McKellor highlighted the profit driven nature of the privatised higher-education system.
His answer came in response to graduate Rei Taker, who questioned him on why students paying large university fees, which fund their pay, aren’t receiving an adequate standard of education.
“International tuition for my program is currently at £24,450, can you imagine any other place in which a customer would pay that much money and be treated this badly?” challenged Taker. “For me, in my opinion it’s unacceptable that universities have allowed this to happen.”
She went on to challenge McKellor over his large pay cheque: “Sir, I’ve read that your salary in 2022 was around £354,000.
“That’s a lot of money coming from students like me (international students) but also domestic students. How is it that you’re not helping us and taking care of us when we are supporting the university that you run?”
In response McKellor said: “Different people have different views about vice chancellors’ salaries, but of course they are running big businesses.”
Presenter Victoria Derbyshire highlighted that some VC’s are on salaries upwards of £700,000 a year, in comparison to the real terms pay cut offered to university staff.
McKellor responded: “The salaries you’re talking about are for vice chancellors who’ve got billion pound businesses that they’ve got to look after.”
‘Out of touch’ university bosses have been slammed by the UCU union during their ongoing dispute over pay and conditions for university staff, as strikes continue since the dispute began in April.
In response to the exchange, Queen Mary UCU wrote: “We’re starting to understand why our VCs don’t want to have informed students and don’t want to talk to students: because these students see through the nonsense.”
The discussion highlighted the nature with which the UK’s education institutions operate as big business, which has arguably led to students disappointed at the quality of their education, whilst workers fight against casualisation, insecurity and low pay.
Since 2009/10, university staff pay has declined in value by 25%, whilst the higher education sector held £44 billion in reserves in 2021/22.
There are over 90,000 university staff on insecure contracts and staff work an average of two extra days unpaid per week, according to UCU research.
Professor at Warwick University, Celine Tan, wrote: “Universities are not really ‘businesses’ since they have a captive market &, despite intro of home student fees, still have significant income streams derived from public grants. It doesn’t justify VCs’ massively inflated salaries when their staff remain poorly paid.”
During the Newsnight debate, students said the system of running universities as businesses and seeing students as consumers disproportionately disadvantages working class students.
While UCU general secretary Jo Grady also took a Conservative party member David Willetts to task over his lecture in defence of university fees, that he never had to pay.
UCU union wrote: “It’s great to see bosses being taken to task.
“Far too often it’s workers, fighting for the bare minimum, who get lambasted in the media.”
UCU announced it will take more strike action at the start of the next academic year in September unless the employer body UCEA agrees to return to negotiations.
“Vice-chancellors have decided that crushing their own workers is more important than seeing students graduate after years of hard work,” said Jo Grady. “This is a national scandal.”
(Photo credit: Twitter / UCU Branch – CSSD)
Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward, focusing on trade unions and environmental issues
To reach hundreds of thousands of new readers and to make the biggest impact we can in the next general election, we need to grow our donor base substantially.
That's why in 2024, we are seeking to generate 150 additional regular donors to support Left Foot Forward's work.
We still need another 124 people to donate to hit the target. You can help. Donate today.