Controversial Compensation: Bolton University’s CEO’s £Pay Raise Stirs Controversy
A Bentley-driving vice-chancellor, George Holmes, has been given a £66,000 pay rise in the last academic year. Holmes, who has defended high salaries of university leaders, Bolton University’s bentley-driving boss pockets £66k pay rise was paid £290,215 in 2016/17 as head of the University of Bolton, a nearly 30% increase from the previous year. This pay increase came on the same day that the University and College Union deemed a code to tackle excessive pay inadequate.
Professor Holmes, a high-ranking vice chancellor at the University of Cambridge, has expressed his desire for students to use their education to secure a good job and then a Bentley. He also questioned whether students want to be taught by someone who is successful or a failure. In January, Holmes attended an all-male Presidents’ Club charity dinner where female staff were sexually harassed. He expressed discomfort during the event and stated that he felt “uncomfortable” during the night. The University of Cambridge’s general secretary, Sally Hunt, criticized Holmes’ recent headlines for not being rewarded for his actions.
The Bolton University vice-chancellor has been criticized for his lack of self-awareness regarding his pay, and accepting a significant increase will not address the perception that vice-chancellors are out of touch. The university claims the increase was based on a performance assessment by the remuneration committee. Under a new remuneration code from the Committee of University Chairs, universities must publicly justify their bosses’ salaries, with the average being over £255,000. Vice chancellors must not be members of their university’s remuneration bodies.
Post credited to independent blog