RSE ‘concerned’ over university governance plans

Electing university chairs may threaten the autonomy of the institutions, according to the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE).

The new Higher Education Governance Bill will introduce reforms to the way universities are run in an attempt to make them more modern, inclusive and accountable.

However in a submission to the Education and Culture Committee’s Stage 1 proceedings the group of senior academics warned the proposals could result in a level of governmental intervention “entirely inappropriate” for an autonomous sector.

Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, President of the RSE said there was a “lack of clarity” in proposals to introduce elections for chairs of governing body.

“There must be a clear distinction between receiving public funding from various sources and being a public sector body. Treating Higher Education Institutions as the latter will lead to unintended consequences and affect their ability to compete. Governmental intervention of this scale is a retrograde step,” she said.

In its submission the RSE argues having a broader electoral franchise will ‘politicise’ the selection and dissuade good candidates from coming forward.

Higher education trade union UCU Scotland has campaigned for university governing bodies to be elected by staff and students.

Former president Dave Anderson told Holyrood in February: “While universities remain autonomous, and should remain autonomous, making them democratic and accountable doesn’t damage that. If anything it protects that.”