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Michael Shattock characterises the large pay gap between vice-chancellors and lecturers as ¡°out of hand¡± (¡°Bad result in student numbers game can still mean a pay rise¡±, News, 7?August). As a retired University of Hull academic (1975-2011), I found the 16 per cent increase to the Hull vice-chancellor in 2012-13 unacceptable. The bulk of staff were offered 1?per cent. In January, I wrote to members of the remuneration committee seeking to understand how they had applied their terms of reference to meet ¡°the university¡¯s requirements regarding equal pay, internal comparability and external market factors¡±.

I suggested that they had principally considered external market factors in deciding the award to the vice-chancellor and in effect ignored internal comparability. The teaching, research and support activities of other university staff make essential contributions to Hull¡¯s success. Those who teach the students and/or prepare successful research bids leading to published work, make the largest contribution to the enhancement of the university¡¯s image.

The 57-word response, from the registrar and secretary to my 600-word letter, informed me that the chair of council and members of the committee noted my concerns. I replied, saying that I looked forward to a detailed reply explaining how the criterion of internal comparability had been applied and whether the committee had considered the demoralising effect of a 1 per cent offer imposed on staff by national employers, but implemented by Hull. I have received no further letter. The remuneration committee were clearly incapable of defending their decision publicly.

A friend submitted a Freedom of Information request and the university sent a redacted reply. The names of the remuneration committee members ¨C accessible on Hull¡¯s website ¨C had been removed. From a leaked set of minutes: ¡°The committee reviewed with considerable satisfaction the Vice-Chancellor¡¯s performance and institutional performance for 2012/13 against agreed objectives.¡± The words ¡°with considerable satisfaction¡± had been redacted. My friend thanked the Freedom of Information officer for the reply, saying that it had won his ¡°nomination for Opacity of the Year¡±.

Michael Somerton
Hull