The Scottish Greens politician who has become rector of crisis-hit university

Green MSP Maggie Chapman has been elected as the new rector of the crisis-hit Dundee University.

The North East MSP said a light needed to be shone on governance and decision making at the university, just days after it was revealed the institution would run out of money within weeks without emergency funding.

Bosses from the university appeared at a Holyrood committee earlier this week where it was revealed key financial information may have been “deliberately” withheld from senior figures.

Last week the university announced it was cutting 632 jobs in a bid to plug a £35 million deficit. The Scottish Funding Council agreed on Thursday to approve a £22m support package for the university.

Ms Chapman said: “Now is the time for a change in the way the university approaches both its governance and management.

Maggie Chapman MSP | John Devlin/National World

“Scottish universities have been strengthened by democracy throughout their existence. The right of the students to elect their rector points to one of the reasons why Scottish higher education is among the best in the world.

“We need to get back to the principles of democracy and the democratic intellect.”

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Ms Chapman added: “We must shine a light on university governance and decision-making, ask challenging and maybe sometimes uncomfortable questions, and ensure we bring the voices of students and the staff who support their education into every conversation we have.

“Dundee University can and must have a bright, inclusive and democratic future, and I relish the opportunity to play my part in creating that. Our students deserve nothing less.”

READ MORE: The inside story of the moment a major Scottish university plunged into crisis and changed forever

Ms Chapman won the election with 664 votes. Mubarak Babalola came second with 395 votes, and Sheli McCoy third with 250 votes.

Ms Chapman was previously the rector of Aberdeen University from 2014 until 2021.

The rector officially represents the students alongside the students’ union, and is a member of the university court. Ms Chapman will take over from incumbent Keith Harris in August.

Dundee University

Dr Neale Laker, acting secretary of the university, said, “I offer congratulations to Maggie on behalf of the university. Our thanks also go to the other candidates, and all those who have contributed to a well-run election, which our students have engaged with at a very high level.”

The university’s unpublished accounts for 2023/24 show an operational deficit of £12.3m and a “sharp” fall in cash balances.

Senior figures had been under the impression the university was still on track to break even until the £35m deficit was revealed in November last year.

Bosses at the university have blamed their predecessors for a series of failures, including “inadequate financial discipline and control, poor investment decisions, including on IT systems, weak compliance at times in financial control, [and] lack of accountability”.

Former principal and vice-chancellor Professor Iain Gillespie and former court chair Amanda Millar both resigned in the wake of the scandal.