Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for Coventry University¡¯s vice-chancellor to be removed from a government position over his handling of the institution¡¯s financial situation.

John Latham, who has led the Midlands institution for over a decade, was recently announced as a non-executive board member at the Department for Business and Trade.

However, this coincided with the institution¡¯s plans to make?92 academics redundant and to?transfer others to a?subsidiary company.

Amid ¡°massive cuts and staff morale being at rock bottom¡±, the University and College Union (UCU) has?.

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¡°Coventry University is facing an unprecedented jobs and debt crisis under the leadership of vice-chancellor John Latham,¡± claims the petition, which had more than 2,600 signatures at the time of writing.

¡°John Latham is failing students, staff, and the wider academic community.¡±

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Along with continuing his role at Coventry, Latham¡¯s government job will involve providing independent advice, support and scrutiny on the department¡¯s work.

¡°We believe this role is incompatible with his responsibilities as vice-chancellor, particularly when Coventry University is facing such severe challenges under his watch,¡± says the petition.

¡°His attention should be focused on addressing the issues at Coventry University, not undertaking additional government duties.¡±

While Coventry¡¯s 2023-24 financial accounts are still to be published,?last year¡¯s revealed that Professor Latham received a total pay package of almost ?400,000.?He has received a bonus in every year of his tenure?since 2014, including almost ?200,000 over the last three years and??80,768?in 2022-23.

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Jo Grady, UCU¡¯s general secretary, said the government¡¯s appointment of Latham ¡°demonstrates a disregard for both staff and students¡±.

¡°We must hold leadership accountable and send a clear message that those who prioritise personal gain over the welfare of the academic community should not be rewarded with influential positions,¡± she said.

A government spokesperson said non-executive board members?must abide by the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies.

¡°John¡¯s appointment followed a fair and open competition, and the department has robust processes to ensure that any outside interests are managed appropriately,¡± they added.

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Coventry declined to comment. In a previous statement, a spokesperson said that it was ¡°simply unaffordable¡± to pay employer contributions of 28.68 per cent of salary for staff who are part of the Teachers¡¯ Pensions Scheme. UCU estimated that more than 200 staff could be transferred to Peoples Futures Ltd (PFL), a company owned by the university, where contributions are capped at 10 per cent of salary.

¡°Most of the higher education sector is having to adapt to a new financial reality created by Brexit, a seven-year freeze in UK tuition fees, unsustainable pensions and the devastating impact of the previous government¡¯s policy U-turn on international students, none of which we can control,¡± the previous statement said.

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¡°We have successfully grown student numbers in Coventry over a number of years and have been proud to create a large number of jobs as a result but we must rebalance our student-staff ratios in line with current student numbers.¡±

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com