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Audio: Staff demand public inquiry at strife-ridden Leeds Met
STRIFE-torn Leeds Metropolitan University last night faced calls for a public inquiry into its management after the abrupt departure of controversial vice- chancellor Simon Lee.
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New chief vows no bullying under his regime
More on the turmoil at Leeds Met
Lecturers have demanded an explanation for Mr Lee's sudden resignation, called for his complete removal from the university and for an end to the bullying culture they claim has blighted Leeds Met.
The university has appointed an acting chief executive, Geoff Hitchins, who took up office yesterday. He rejected the inquiry call from the University and College Union (UCU), which was also backed by a local MP.
He was also unable to clarify the position of Mr Lee, who is to remain at the university in an undefined "ambassadorial" role while still receiving his full salary package of 276,000 per year until the end of the academic year in August.
It emerged last night that Dr Hitchins was only approached on Tuesday to run the university and his own salary has yet to be agreed. He said he would be paid less than Mr Lee.
The new acting chief executive said he was not aware of any other senior staff who were planning to leave.
Dr Hitchins told the Yorkshire Post that Leeds Met would honour its series of contracts with its partners including the 14m investment into a new cricket pavilion at Headingley and its financial commitment to the Leeds rugby teams.
But he added that he would review the university's spending to ensure it was achieving value for money.
He also made clear that bullying would not be tolerated and that he would adopt a "collegiate" style of management.
However, Dr Hitchins would not comment on the reasons for Mr Lee's resignation and an explanation has still not been offered by the university's governors more than two weeks after his departure was announced.
The uncertainty has led to speculation that a clash over a potential rise in tuition fees is behind Mr Lee's decision to quit. Leeds Met's fees are the lowest in the country at 2,000 a year a policy that was at the heart of the outgoing vice-chancellor's vision for the university.
Dr Hitchins said it was up to the governors what increase, if any, there would be in fees and that a decision would be taken in March on the fees for the 2010-11 academic year.
Staff fears for the future of the university have now led the UCU to call for a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Mr Lee's resignation. A motion passed by the Leeds Met branch yesterday also demanded that governors reverse the decision to pay themselves and that "the governors immediately remove the vice-chancellor from all his roles to overcome uncertainty within the management of the university".
Dr Hitchins said Mr Lee's ambassadorial role had not been finalised but that the departing vice-chancellor would report to the governors' chairman, Ninian Watt. He said he had not spoken to Mr Lee yet about how they would work together.
The UCU also demanded "an end to the culture of bullying to be replaced by collegiate culture". A survey in 2007 revealed that 68 per cent of staff had suffered stress as a result of bullying by their managers at Leeds Met.
The union's stance has been welcomed by Leeds North East MP Fabian Hamilton, who said: "I totally support the UCU. It is absolutely right that there needs to be some sort of inquiry to get to the bottom of what has been going on.
"The most important thing is the education of students and we don't want to see this disrupted by a row over how public money is being spent."
Dr Hitchins said he would not take any part in choosing a new, permanent vice-chancellor. He would remain in post until a successor to Mr Lee arrived, possibly not until after the start of the next academic year.
Leaders still committed to name change
Plans to change the name of Leeds Metropolitan University to Leeds Carnegie remain in place despite the sudden changes to its leadership.
The university's vice-chancellor Simon Lee and chancellor Brendan Foster have both resigned and a new acting chief executive, Geoff Hitchins, has been appointed to take over.
Dr Hitchins, who has twice previously been acting vice-chancellor of the university, said the plan to become known as Leeds Carnegie University from the next academic year was still in place.
The move has been passed by the board of governors and is now awaiting approval from the Privy Council which rules on university name changes.
The Carnegie name comes from the Carnegie College of Physical Training set up in Headingley in 1933 with funding from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, as the country's first centre for the training of PE teachers.
The centre became part of Leeds Polytechnic in 1976, which in turn became Leeds Met in 1992.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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