UK: Pay boost for university leaders

Many British vice-chancellors are paid as much if not more than the Prime Minister. But not, of course, as much as Premier League footballers - or failed bankers. Latest figures collated and audited by accountants Grant Thornton on behalf of Times Higher Education show the average university head earned £193,970 (US$282,000) (including benefits but not pension contributions) in 2007-08, a 9% increase on the previous year, and a steeper rise than in the previous two years. Gordon Brown was paid £194,250 last year for running the country.

The pay pot for vice-chancellors rose to more than £30 million while the average pension contribution for a vice-chancellor was £26,129, compared with £22,452 in 2006-07 - a 16.4% increase.

Not only vice-chancellors but academics in general had a good year: in 2007-08 academic pay rose more rapidly than the national average. Figures collated by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) show UK academics on average earned £43,486 a year in 2007-08, 5.7 % increase from an average salary of £41,128 in 2006-07, compared with pay rises of 4% nationally.

For the first time, an academic career looked more promising than law or accountancy as lecturers' pay topped that of solicitors and number crunchers. The average professor took home £69,870 in 2007-08 compared with £66,282 the previous year - an increase of 5.4%. Further down the scale, salaries rose more quickly: researchers received £31,915, up from £30,161 the year before, a 5.8% rise, senior lecturers earned £46,319 and lecturers £38,105.

This news unfortunately coincided with the University UK's report on tuition fees, a contribution to the debate about possible increases ahead of a government review due later this year. UUK set out future options for fees after 2012, arguing that raising the present limit of £3,145 to £5,000 a year would not deter students but that putting them up to £7,000 might do so. So, it seems, students will get deeper into debt come what may. But, given the credit crunch, last year could well have been the best of times in the higher education world.
diane.spencer@uw-news.com