Vice-Chancellors in trouble

[atrium]

I work for a uni and we got an email to say our VC has been suspended while allegations are investigated. I googled to see if there was an external announcement yet. There isn't, but I was interested to see many other recent headlines in my search results about VCs being suspended from other unis. It seems to be remarkably common. I wonder why? 🤷‍♀️

I've read of one recently, but can't recall name of university. I think it is while finances are being investigated.

Many other VCs suspended? Really? Other than Holmes, who else recently then?

Is this the "University of Greater Manchester" (i.e. University of Bolton)? If so, my head of school in a different university told me about it around 3 weeks ago, and it has been in national newspapers since then. I don't imagine the university will want its own employees to know about it and will be doing a lot of whitewashing via internal communications when they can't ignore it any longer.

@FatOaf , no not that one.

Ok, so "many" may be an exaggeration based on what I saw as a long list of results, some of which must have been referring to the same instance (I didn't know the Uni's of Bolton and "Greater Manchester" were the same, so I've learnt something there). Otherwise there were the two below in the UK and a few more from abroad.

Professor James Tooley – University of Buckingham
Suspension Date: October 2024
Suspended following "serious allegations" related to a personal relationship.
Outcome: An independent investigation cleared him of wrongdoing, and he was reinstated in January 2025.

Professor Richard B. Davies – Swansea University
Suspension Date: November 2018
Suspended amid an internal investigation.
Outcome: Dismissed for gross misconduct in July 2019.

So, I guess ours will be newsworthy if/when it is announced externally. Staff were just told today.

Well there you go. One at a private provider subsequently reinstated, one plus yours at public ones in the last six years. Out of several hundred on the OfS register, and another hundred in rUK that’s not too bad - 2/500ish over six years is less than 0.1%. 2 too many agreed but not a sign of wholesale corruption in the sector.

(Edited as didn’t realise UoB one was reinstated.)

The Swansea one was sacked, along with a few other people for various financial irregularities, to do with (I think) government funding.

What university are you at OP?

@AlphaApple I'll post a link when it's announced externally. I'm guessing they'll have to put out some sort of statement. Hopefully it'll have more detail about the allegations too. I'm wfh today so haven't had the chance to pick up any rumours. I can hazard a guess what it is about just by reputation, but may be wrong.

Ohhhhh! Bit of a tricky character I’d heard….

That fits.

Looks like the news is out. Took longer than I thought!: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-university-chief-suspended-over-culture-of-bullying-and-fear-b1230493.html

Has anyone seen the Times article which is quoted by the Evening Standard article? I haven't been able to find it, so it must either be behind a paywall or only in the physical paper.

The ES article was published late afternoon on Friday, so it must have been in Friday's Times.

Same at Imperial a couple of years back. Previous President and COO left due to incidents involving staff bullying and racism. The first took early retirement, the second forced to resign.

Another one just gone. VC of the University for the Creative Arrs.

Any update on this?

Any update on this?

No. Everyone's just waiting for the outcome of the independent investigation.

The allegations seem to have been made by a collective of staff. Someone with a copy of the allegations letter (which I haven't seen), as well as the internal announcement from HR (which I got), must have sent both documents to the Times. They published an article in their paper copy only on 30th May, so were relatively cautious. All the online articles are quoting from the Times article, but no other info has been released.

Thanks. I noticed the chair has also stepped down. What’s that all about

He's still on the board, but just stepped down as Chair. He's relatively new - only been on the board a few months and went straight into the Chair role. Presumably he decided someone else should steer the Board through the turbulence.

Hi. Was just looking at the new chair guy who is not chair and googled him and found this.wow! Maybe why there is all the saga. The last chair was there for years and no problems. What do you think?

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2504106/outrage-as-top-mandarin-at-department-responsible-for-blowing-12-billion-on-overseas-aid-knighted/

That’s the Sun having a pop at the overseas aid budget which presumably they would like to be £0. An easy hit?

It really isn’t. Try harder.

I think that's irrelevant.

The UoL trustee roles are unpaid, but obviously have their own varying motivations for doing the role. In May 2024 there were 6 new trustees, therefore more than half of the Board were new. Presumably none of the 5 more established members wanted to be Chair, and so Sir M stepped up. I've only seen him once. He was invited by the VC to speak to staff at the monthly Town Hall meeting. It was billed as a conversation between the VC and him, with the two of them in armchairs on stage. The VC asked him questions, all about him and his background. There was only time for 2-3 questions at the end from staff. Someone asked whether he would be doing something about X (can't remember what exactly) and he said it was the Board's job to scrutinise reports from the VC and ask her questions. We don't get to see detailed minutes of the meetings - just a high level summary - so it's hard to know whether that job was being done effectively.

As the VC was reappointed in Jan 2023, the (previous) Board were presumably convinced she was an effective leader. 2025 marks the end of a 5 year strategy, so there would have been some reflection taking place. Then the allegations letter landed. The Chair might reasonably have felt that the much needed scrutiny should be led by someone who had been around for longer.

That’s interesting. My boss knows the VC and said she’s very good so a bit of a mystery really that it’s all suddenly happened. Sounds like a few took the opportunity and ganged up and one of them gave their letter to the Times. That’s spiteful and very damaging. Those staff seem awful. Wouldn’t like to work with them. Who knows what they could say about anyone these days and ruin your career. Do you know who that might be. Can’t be many senior staff.