Vice-chancellor says his £227,000 pay isn't enough
The vice-chancellor of one of the lowest-ranked universities has said his £227,000 salary is not enough â€" because he does not have a free home.
Craig Mahoney of the University of West Scotland complained his lack of a grace-and-favour property means he has nowhere to 'entertain' guests and hampers his work.
He said his six-figure salary is not enough to cover the costs of a suitable home.
His comments come after universities minister Jo Johnson called for the endless 'upwards ratchet' of vice-chancellor pay to be linked to performance. UWS is ranked 100th out of 129 in the Complete University Guide.
Craig Mahoney (pictured) of the University of West Scotland complained his lack of a grace-and-favour property means he has nowhere to 'entertain' guests
Many other vice-chancellors are given free â€" and often lavish â€" homes on top of their generous salaries so they can host visitors.
Professor Mahoney moved into his own accommodation after quitting his directorship at the Higher Education Academy to take on the university role.
His listed address is a stylish apartment located in an 18th-century mansion, which sits between a leafy park and a golf course in Paisley â€" a town near Glasgow that is shortlisted to become the 2021 UK City of Culture.
Defending the huge salaries enjoyed by himself and his counterparts, Professor Mahoney said: 'Do I think we're paid too much? No, not really. My job is pretty all-consu ming. I can't do my job properly because I'm not provided with a house. My job involves a lot of entertaining.'
His claims, circulated on social media, were derided yesterday by the former education secretary Lord Adonis, who joked that, compared to some of his peers, Prof Mahoney was 'seriously poor'.
Sir Anthony Seldon, vice-chancellor of the University of Buckingham, told the Daily Telegraph: 'Vice-chancellors do an extremely demanding and complex job, that said, I've cut my own pay to the lowest of any in the sector, and it's embarrassing in this climate to be paid so much more when salaries are so static for our staff.
'At this time self-restraint is a good thing, and I think others would be wise to practise it.'
Mahoney, the vice-chancellor of one of the lowest-ranked universities, has said his £227,000 salary is not enough (file photo of the University of West Scotland)
UWS ranks poorly for its student to staff ratio, is one of the worst institutions for spending on facilities, and has one of the worst degree completion rates â€" with one in five students dropping out of courses before they finish.
The university has also declined to take part in the Government's new Teaching Excellence Framework, which rewards institutions according to their undergraduate teaching quality.
Despite his university's track record, Professor Mahoney has insisted that his salary is justified, adding that he hopes to arrange a property for his successor when he leaves the position.
A spokesman for UWS said: 'While a number of universities in the UK higher education sector do provide accommodation for their principals, UWS has no plans to pursue this.
'The principal's comments were made in the broader context of universities having facilities that can be utilised to host national and international guests ... not himself.'
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