Rectors sign letter condemning university shake-up

Eight former rectors of Edinburgh University have signed an open letter condemning government plans for a shake-up in the way universities are governed.

The rectors - including former Liberal leader Lord Steel and former Labour MP Sir Tam Dalyell - say the shake-up poses a threat to the role they held.

Four Scottish universities elect rectors to chair their courts.

Some rectors have been powerful champions of the students' interests.

The eight who signed the letter - sent to three national newspapers - also include journalist Jonathon Wills, former sports commentator Archie Macpherson, author and former TV presenter Muriel Gray, Donnie Munro, of Runrig fame, neurologist Malcolm Macleod and footballer John Colquhoun.

It says: "The Rector is part of the Scottish Academic tradition and part of our democracy, which should be preserved.

"We are extremely concerned that the Scottish Government in their proposed legislation on University Governance is seeking to abolish the right of Rectors to chair University Courts and to downgrade the position of the Rector to one which a university can choose to continue or not.

"The position of Rector was introduced to bring democracy and transparency to the governance of Universities and it has managed to do this successfully for many years.

"We feel that the proposals in the Scottish Government's Bill takes away an ancient democratic right, unique to Scotland and seeks to replace it with a system where the chair of the University's highest governing body will be someone pre approved and vetted by a government process."

The Scottish government's Higher Education Governance Bill includes proposals to elect the chairs of university courts.

The court of each university is its governing body - universities are fiercely proud of their independence from government.

Another proposal would see trade union representatives having a guaranteed place on the courts.

As well as practical concerns about the changes, some within universities are also concerned they amount to the government trying to gain more control over universities.

Meanwhile Universities Scotland recently warned the changes could inadvertently lead to the Office for National Statistics reclassifying universities as part of the public sector with implications for their finances.

It was also concerned there could be an unintended risk to their charitable status.

The Scottish government has said it does not anticipate this happening.

The four ancient universities - Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews and Aberdeen - each elect rectors to chair their courts. Some rectors can be powerful champions of the students' interests and powerful ambassadors for the institution.

However, others are absentees - the current rector of Glasgow University is Edward Snowden who is seeking asylum in Russia while in 2000 the actor Ross Kemp resigned following a motion of no confidence by students. He had failed to attend events.

A Scottish government spokesperson said: "Rectors play an important role in the "ancient" institutions, raising the profile of the sector and representing students. The Scottish government is clear that there is no intention at all to abolish the position of rector.

"The Scottish government will not be involved in the appointment of an individual chair at any institution so the suggestion of government exerting greater direct control over the sector is just wrong.

"Over the summer, we asked all higher education stakeholders, including current rectors, about their views on how a model for elected chairs of court might work in practice.

"As the Higher Education Bill progresses through parliament, we will continue to listen to all constructive views and suggestions made."