How to ensure fairness in leadership roles.
The way in which knighthoods are awarded to vice-chancellors is to be reformed following pressure from elite institutions, it can be revealed today.
Just under half of the 24 leaders of the research-led Russell Group universities have honorifics, which the other half find intolerable. Indeed a title appears to be a prerequisite for holding true power: Sir David Greenaway of the University of Nottingham was this week selected as the group’s chair while Sir Christopher Snowden of the University of Surrey is the president of Universities UK. The situation is further inflamed by suggestions from snubbed vice-chancellors that they had actually been nominated but had declined the offer, either for reasons of modesty or because they find the system arcane.
The reforms would see the introduction of a points-based system to ensure fairness. For example, many of those who have been overlooked for a knighthood have worked outside the UK before taking up the post. This is thought to be the reason why Sir Leszek Borysiewicz of the University of Cambridge has a title but Andrew Hamilton of the University of Oxford, who previously led Yale University and has recently announced his departure for New York University, has not. Similarly Dame Nancy Rothwell of the University of Manchester is honoured but Alice Gast of Imperial College London, who was formerly president of Lehigh University, is only likely to achieve parity in the staff’s Christmas pantomine.
Up to 20 points would be allocated to compensate candidates for having international experience. A further 10 would be available for those educated at institutions other than the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Those that were not only female but also from an ethnic minority would be able to claim up to another 20 points. However those educated at Balliol would forfeit all other gains.
The proposals would certainly help newly titled vice-chancellors to secure the best tables in the swankiest restaurants, yet observers note that they may not lead to full parity of esteem. In his first speech as universities, science and cities minister, Greg Clark notably referred to those university leaders with whom he was chummy by their first names only, while the honorifics were reserved for those kept at a distance.