'Inept and incompetent' suspension of university principal under attack

THE row over the suspension of Scotland's longest-serving university principal has intensified after a prominent member of staff attacked the university court.

Professor Philippe Baveye, a prominent academic at Dundee's troubled Abertay University, broke months of silence by senior members of staff to launch a blistering attack on the court's decision to suspend the Principal, Prof Bernard King, following an apparent struggle for power at the institution.

Prof Baveye demanded the resignation of Nigel Hawkins, the chairman of the university court, and the reinstatement of Prof King as Principal, and described the court's actions as "amateurish, inept, incompetent and irresponsible."

In an e-mail sent to Mr Hawkins, Prof Baveye, pictured below, the chair of soil ecosystem modelling at Abertay, claims that the university has been forced to spend 500,000 in its "baffling and shameful" disciplinary action against the head of the institution.

"The only way to describe the performance of Court in the last eight months is that is has been amateurish, inept, incompetent and irresponsible," he said. "And since you have been chair of Court during this whole time, I conclude that you must bear a significant responsibility for this.

"Pretty much every single aspect of the crisis has been mishandled by Court, in the worst possible way. That a man of Bernard King's stature and national standing could be suspended without a single word of explanation to anyone is just incredible, and has caused immense damage to Abertay's reputation and credibility."

Prof Baveye, a member of the academic staff for four years, told The Scotsman last night that other senior members of staff were too frightened to speak out publicly as they feared for their jobs. But he was not concerned about his academic future as he is also a member of staff at an American University.

He said: "My employment is not really an issue. But my colleagues are kind of all afraid for their jobs if they make their opinions known. I can't say that I speak for the vast majority of the senior members of the academic staff. But I have talked to quite a few senior professors and they pretty much all agree with me."

Mr Hawkins could not be contacted for comment. But a spokesman for Abertay University denied Prof Baveye's allegations. He said: "Professor Philippe Baveye is a highly-respected and valued member of the professoriate at Abertay and has contributed greatly to our international standing in environmental science research. He is of course entitled to voice his opinions as he see fit.

"It is sad, however, that he chooses to use such intemperate and inflammatory language."