TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION: Open question on v-c pay as jobs come up for grabs

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Andy Westwood, vice-dean for social responsibility at the University of Manchester, agreed that “for some universities, where the departing vice-chancellor has been there for a while and been subject to pay hikes, it will make sense to lower the pay offering and show that the institution is listening to critics”.

“However, there will be others – particularly ones where the vice-chancellor is leaving because of performance-related issues – where the board will say ‘we know that there is a furore over vice-chancellor pay, but we need someone to work miracles, and we’re prepared to take that flak if they can do that’,” Professor Westwood said.

Professor Westwood added: “It is ironic that it is the tightening pressures around student recruitment and other strategic issues [driven by government policy] that may lead some universities to gamble on continuing high pay levels despite the clamour to reduce them.”