Pronzynski point

Tony Brian, chair of Glasgow Caledonian University, is quoted in your report of the review of University Governance chaired by Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski (2 February) as responding to the proposal to elect governing body chairs by saying it is “important to ensure that any changes strengthen and not weaken the existing good governance in what is a highly successful sector which punches far above its weight with Scotland having five universities in the top 200 in the world”.

It is important to remember the review panel was established by Cabinet secretary Mike Russell precisely because, in the recent past, there has been a number of occurrences which have called into question the effectiveness of university governance.

The relative success of the higher education system is fully recognised in the report.

But, as it points out, the European University Association has warned that international league tables, while here to stay in the short term at least, are based on highly flawed procedures and “higher education policy decisions should not be based solely on rankings”.

Moreover, universities’ success depends on the research done and education provided by academic and support staff.

What should be of concern is that it is increasingly clear two divergent campus narratives have emerged. Senior managers tell the success story and claim credit for it. But many staff feel disenfranchised, deprived of meaningful consultation over key decisions and unhappy at growing salary differentials that are creating a “managerialist caste” detached from the concerns of their junior colleagues.

Prof von Pronzynski is to be congratulated on his readiness to engage with fellow panellists and on arriving at near consensus, based on reasoned argument and compromise over many weeks, for a well-constructed and readable report which should now inform campus-wide and public debate about how universities can reclaim the tradition of the “democratic intellect” and make it relevant to the 21st century.

If the report seems over- cautious it is because all the panel members were determined not to make recommendations that might compromise what is successful about Scotland’s universities. But complacency is a major danger too.

Terry Brotherstone

Former president University and College Union and STUC nominee on panel reviewing University Governance in Scotland

Dundas Street

Edinburgh