Dundee University: 10 bombshell revelations as bosses at crisis-hit Scottish university quizzed at Parliament

We take a look at what was revealed when former bosses from Dundee were questioned on what went wrong.

Apologies issued by former bosses at the crisis-hit Dundee University have been branded “pathetic”, as officials were accused of being “asleep at the wheel”.

The university’s former finance director Peter Fotheringham, former chief operating officer Dr Jim McGeorge and former court chair Amanda Millar were hauled in front of Holyrood’s education committee on Wednesday to be grilled on how things went so badly wrong at the university.

The evidence session comes after Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth confirmed a further £40 million was being given to the university as it looks to cut hundreds of jobs to save millions.

The explosive evidence session saw the trio apologise, as well as admit they should have been aware of the issues way before they were.

This was the first of two days of questioning former Dundee University bosses. On Thursday, the committee will interview former principal and vice-chancellor Professor Iain Gillespie.

The Scotsman looks at some of the explosive revelations from the session.

Dundee University | National World

Trio ‘sorry’ for the finances

The committee started with the three former officials apologising for their parts in the financial crisis.

Dr McGeorge said: “I tried to do my best for the university in good conscience. Where I have been found wanting, I am deeply and unreservedly sorry for that.”

Mr Fotheringham added: “The position the institution finds itself in is deeply upsetting and I am deeply sorry for any part I have played in it.”

Ms Miller added: "I am and remain deeply frustrated and saddened by the pain this has undoubtedly caused.”

Committee convener Douglas Ross MSP said: “Your very best is pathetic, you are the worst offenders. What you allowed to happen was unacceptable. How is this your very best?”

Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick also noted the trio seemed “unsettlingly relaxed” about what had happened.

Former court chair Amanda Miller, former chief operating officer Dr Jim McGeorge and former finance director Peter Fotheringham | Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament

Challenges were not seen until it was too late

All three former bosses admitted there were “missed opportunities” and they did not fully understand the scope of the financial challenges until it was too late.

Dr McGeorge said: “On this occasion the financial information available to us was not as comprehensive as it could have been. We should have seen the signs in March 2024 and started making savings.

“I didn’t see that at the time and neither did the university’s finance committee or the court, and that is a huge regret.”

He also apologised for not spotting “that we were heading towards crisis”.

Mr Fotheringham said he “thought it was very clear to everybody” as far back as 2023 the university needed to reduce costs. He said: “In hindsight that didn’t happen to the extent it should have done and that is deeply regretful.”

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Bosses do not recall principal’s comments

Mr Fotheringham said he did not remember the former principal publicly declaring the university was moving into a surplus.

Mr Ross asked: “How can the director of finance not remember the principal telling the university it was moving into a surplus position when you’ve just said it was clear it was not?

“Did you sit on your hands or did you not hear the principal saying that?”

The former finance director said the university had not been in a strong financial position for “well over ten years” and had not generated a surplus for a decade.

He said an improvement in student numbers in 2022/23 could have led to “what we considered a surplus position”, but stressed action needed to have been taken to achieve this.

Some within the university knew how bad things were - but did not speak up

The trio giving evidence suggested some within the university “did understand the position and didn’t speak up”.

Mr Fotheringham suggested those in student recruitment, for example, could see the massive fall in international students and could see that targets on international recruitment were going to be massively missed.

However, he said these figures were not highlighted to university chiefs.

Finance director admits he ‘struggled’

Mr Fotheringham said: “I did struggle with the job at times, particularly in 2024.

Former finance director Peter Fotheringham | Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament

“My team was seriously under-resourced and I struggled to stay on top of that, and I accept that.”

Dr McGeorge admitted he knew Mr Fotheringham was under-resourced, but Ms Miller said this was news to her.

Mr Fotheringham later said he left his position as finance director because it was “difficult to be in a job you don’t enjoy”. He said: “This was my first role as a finance director and I found it lonely and challenging.”

Was the court chair qualified?

Ms Miller was questioned on whether or not she had the skills and experience necessary to take on the role of court chair.

She said yes and that she did not regret applying for the job, but pointed out she has no financial qualifications.

However, she admitted she could have done more to “build trust” with her colleagues on the university court.

Former court chair Amanda Miller | Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament

Dr McGeorge said there was a tendency for university court chairs to “be strong finance people with extremely strong business experience”, but this meant most court chairs were white men.

He said new arrangements were put in place to attract a more diverse group of people, which meant the chair was “less financially orientated”. Dr McGeorge said the lack of financial skills was made up by others in the court.

Ms Miller said she was “slightly different from the usual” type of court chair and admitted this was “challenging” for her.

She also dismissed accusations she had “shut down questions on finances”. Mr Ross said he was “shocked” at the accusation and suggested it was a “major failing” on her part.

‘Gross incompetence’ in reporting funding breach

Mr Ross suggested university bosses had been “criminal” in not reporting a breach of a banking covenant to the Scottish Funding Council.

Mr Ross asked: “How can two very senior individuals, one the director of finance at the centre of all financial management at the university, not know a breach is reportable to the funding council?”

Dr McGeorge said: “I’m not an expert on financial management.”

Former chief operating officer Dr Jim McGeorge | Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament

Mr Ross replied: “You are legally bound to alert the institution to issues like that. Is this not just an appalling failure, but an almost criminal failure that you were negligent in that way?”

Dr McGeorge denied the claim as he “simply didn’t know that was reportable”. Mr Ross described this as “gross incompetence”.

The finance director also said he “regretfully” did not realise he had to report this.

It was also revealed Dr McGeorge knew about the breach a month before informing the funding council, but “genuinely didn’t remember” this.

Mr Ross asked: “Why sit there and expect us to believe your mistruths?”

A toxic culture

Fingers were pointed at the former principal and vice-chancellor for creating a “hostile” working environment.

Dr McGeorge said: “I think there are issues around the culture of the former principal, which did lead to people feeling they couldn’t challenge as much as they would like to do.

“It created an environment where people wanted to please and wanted to say what the principal wanted to hear rather than speaking truth to power. Privately I felt he would, in certain circumstances, listen, but I would have hesitated to do that in public.”

Dr McGeorge said he took “some responsibility for the perception” of a toxic culture.

Pam Duncan-Glancy, Scottish Labour’s education spokeswoman, also asked Ms Miller if the former principal “gatekept information”. Ms Miller said: “I have reflected a lot on this and I firmly believe the dynamics within the senior executive team impacted the delivery and effectiveness of allowing the court to assess, analyse, challenge and decide.”

Ms Miller said she witnessed “inappropriate behaviour and language” towards a female colleague, which she raised with the principal.

‘Clear enticement’ to pay off Wendy Alexander

Baroness Wendy Alexander is a former vice-principal at Dundee University. Last week it was revealed she was offered numerous incentives to leave the institution after clashing with the former principal.

Dr McGeorge said Baroness Alexander “raised sensible questions on finance” and realised months before the others there was a massive financial problem.

Baroness Wendy Alexander, former vice-principal at Dundee University, pictured in 2008. | Danny Lawson/Press Association

Mr FitzPatrick asked if the university tried to make her leave by offering her “lavish overseas trips and a lavish pay-off”.

Dr McGeorge said that was “not an appropriate term” and said he had been asked to open discussions with Baroness Alexander about “her departure on mutually agreed terms”.

He denied she had been asked to leave because the principal did not like being challenged, but acknowledged there were “tensions” between the two on the future direction of the university.

He admitted it had been suggested Baroness Alexander go on a trip to Canada and the US. Mr Ross said this was “clearly an enticement for her to leave” as the trip would be unlikely to benefit the university given she was leaving and held different views on the future of the university.

No plan to hit financial targets

North East MSP Michael Marra, who used to work at the university, raised questions over the institution’s goal to reach £500m in turnover.

Mr Fotheringham said: “This was an aspirational goal as something in an environment with positive headwinds was potentially achievable and would give the university a level of critical mass to break out of the institution permanently breaking even.”

He said reaching this goal would allow the university to become “masters of our own destiny”, but said bosses soon “realised that was not realistic”.

Mr Fotheringham admitted: “It was not something backed up by any plans.”