Latest news with #UniversityofDundee
The Independent
12 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Interim head appointed at university after damning report into financial crisis
A new interim principal has been appointed at the University of Dundee less than 24 hours after a damning report prompted his predecessor's resignation. Professor Nigel Seaton will take on the role on a short-term basis after Professor Shane O'Neill and two other senior officials at the university stepped down on Thursday. Prof O'Neill's departure was hastened by a report into the financial crisis facing the institution, which is struggling with a £35 million black hole. The report found management had 'failed' to 'properly respond to the worsening situation'. It identified Prof O'Neill, former principal Professor Iain Gillespie and ex-chief operating officer Jim McGeorge as a 'triumvirate' at the top of the institution who were believed by other staff to be making 'key university decisions'. In his resignation statement, Prof O'Neill said it was important for the university to be able to 'move on'. Prof Seaton – who served as principal and vice-chancellor of Abertay University between 2012 and 2022 – was previously the interim provost at Dundee University before taking the top job. He said he is 'honoured' to take up the position, adding: 'The university faces considerable challenges in its recovery from a difficult financial position, and from what I know has been a very difficult period for staff. 'I am ready to work with my colleagues and with the university court to set the university on its way to a sustainable and successful future. 'In all this, we should not lose sight of the things that make this university such a great place. 'Prime among those is graduation, and I look forward to playing a part in the ceremonies next week to celebrate the achievements of our wonderful graduates.' Dr Ian Mair, the deputy chairman of the university court, said he is 'grateful' Prof Seaton is willing to 'lend us stability at this challenging time'.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Interim head appointed at university after damning report into financial crisis
A new interim principal has been appointed at the University of Dundee less than 24 hours after a damning report prompted his predecessor's resignation. Professor Nigel Seaton will take on the role on a short-term basis after Professor Shane O'Neill and two other senior officials at the university stepped down on Thursday. Prof O'Neill's departure was hastened by a report into the financial crisis facing the institution, which is struggling with a £35 million black hole. The report found management had 'failed' to 'properly respond to the worsening situation'. It identified Prof O'Neill, former principal Professor Iain Gillespie and ex-chief operating officer Jim McGeorge as a 'triumvirate' at the top of the institution who were believed by other staff to be making 'key university decisions'. In his resignation statement, Prof O'Neill said it was important for the university to be able to 'move on'. Prof Seaton – who served as principal and vice-chancellor of Abertay University between 2012 and 2022 – was previously the interim provost at Dundee University before taking the top job. He said he is 'honoured' to take up the position, adding: 'The university faces considerable challenges in its recovery from a difficult financial position, and from what I know has been a very difficult period for staff. 'I am ready to work with my colleagues and with the university court to set the university on its way to a sustainable and successful future. 'In all this, we should not lose sight of the things that make this university such a great place. 'Prime among those is graduation, and I look forward to playing a part in the ceremonies next week to celebrate the achievements of our wonderful graduates.' Dr Ian Mair, the deputy chairman of the university court, said he is 'grateful' Prof Seaton is willing to 'lend us stability at this challenging time'.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Dundee University report must be ‘watershed moment', Tories say
Within minutes of the report, interim principal Professor Shane O'Neill – who was part of a 'triumvirate' including the former principal and the former chief operating officer which was heavily criticised – announced he and two other senior officials would be standing down. The findings of the independent investigation into the financial challenges facing the University of Dundee have been published — Scottish Funding Council (@ScotFundCouncil) June 19, 2025 The report accused former principal Professor Iain Gillespie of 'hubris' and refusing to take criticism, as well as hitting out at internal monitoring of the university's finances. Responding to the publication of the report, Scottish Tory education spokesman Miles Briggs said: 'This is a devastating report into the gross mismanagement that has existed for far too long at the University of Dundee. 'In light of the damning findings it is welcome they have done the right thing and resigned from their roles instantly. 'Senior figures were told what they had to do to get Dundee University into a sustainable position but they repeatedly failed to act, and covered up the true state of its financial position.' He added: 'The report is scathing about the inexcusable failures by those in leadership roles. 'It is now essential that this is a watershed moment to ensure no Scottish university will ever face such a situation in future.' Local Labour MSP Michael Marra accused former leaders of 'financial vandalism'. 'The report shows that the institution was failed catastrophically by a small group of executive leaders entirely out of their depth and cowed by a hubristic principal who brooked no dissent,' he said. 'Details of Iain Gillespie's leadership style are deeply troubling – sidelining, speaking over or publicly criticising women in the university who dared to speak up. 'There were also clear failures of governance, with inaccurate reports which masked the true financial picture and public statements by the principal that were purposefully misleading.' Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie said the crisis had been 'devastating' and urged there to be a new leadership team in place 'without delay'. 'It is not an exaggeration to say that the staff and students have been betrayed,' he said. 'The oppressive behaviour from the top together with inadequate reporting and governance from the court has led to this failure. 'It is right that the whole leadership team has now gone.' In the wake of the crisis, the university announced it would have to make redundancies, with the initial estimate of 700 jobs to be cut eventually dropping to around 300. The University and College Union successfully balloted its members for strike action as a result of the plans. The union's Scotland official Mary Senior said the report laid bare 'abject failings' of management. 'Given the clear failings of management, it should not be staff and students that are left to pay the price in cuts to their jobs and cuts to education,' she said. 'We are clear that the university should now commit to rule out the use of compulsory redundancies.' When the university announced it would be reducing the number of redundancies, bosses said cuts would be made through a voluntary redundancy scheme.
Sky News
a day ago
- Business
- Sky News
University of Dundee bosses quit after 'scathing' report into financial crisis
The interim principal of the University of Dundee and two senior members of its governing body have stepped down following a scathing report into the institution's financial deterioration that led to a £22m government bailout. The independent investigation into the university's finances was ordered after it announced there would be hundreds of job losses to address a £35m deficit. The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) - an arms-length public body of the Scottish government - provided a £22m support package. Key findings from the Gillies Report for the SFC include poor financial judgment, inadequate management and reporting, and lack of agility by leadership in responding to a fall in income. Interim principal and vice-chancellor Professor Shane O'Neill quit in the wake of the report. The university also said Tricia Bey, acting chair of the university court, and Carla Rossini, convenor of the finance and policy committee, who were both due to step down this summer, are now bringing this forward and leaving with immediate effect. Professor O'Neill said: "It is with a very heavy heart, having committed myself fully to the recovery process over these past months, that I have decided to step aside from my position and will be leaving the university. "It is important that the university can move on and I recognise that this will be easier with new leadership." Members of the university executive group (UEG), which included the "triumvirate" of Professor O'Neill, former principal Professor Iain Gillespie and ex-chief operating officer Jim McGeorge, were found to have "failed" last year to "properly respond to the worsening situation" and disclose the looming crisis to other university officials. The report found the root causes of the financial issues included the decline in overseas postgraduate students coming to the university and the growth agenda proposed by leaders. According to the report, the "credibility and accuracy" of reports given to senior leaders regarding the financial situation were "poor". The report said there was "insufficient corroborated evidence" to suggest members of the executive team had sought to suppress information about the scale of the crisis, while there was "circumstantial" evidence. Prof Gillespie, who left the university last year when news of the crisis became public, was described as someone who "did not welcome difficult conversations". An email sent by the former principal in March of last year, claiming the university was "moving into a surplus position", was branded "misleading" by the report, while his management style was criticised, particularly in how he dealt with women. The report stated: "Female members of staff in particular reported being spoken over, sidelined or discussed in public as being obstructive if they attempted to be heard, and there were reports that the university policy on dignity and fairness was not upheld in a number of instances." Dr Ian Mair, deputy chair of court, the university's governing body, said: "There is much in this report on which we have to reflect. We will take a short time to digest the full implications of the report but we will act on the findings." Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said it was "evident" from the report's finding that "there are serious questions which must be answered by the University of Dundee's management team". Ms Gilruth added: "Whilst the university is an autonomous institution which is ultimately responsible for decision-making around its day-to-day operations, the Scottish government will do everything possible to secure a positive future for Dundee. "I will be updating parliament with a more detailed statement on the findings of the report and on future government support next week." MSP Miles Briggs, the Scottish Conservatives' shadow cabinet secretary for education, branded the report's findings "damning". He added: "The report is scathing about the inexcusable failures by those in leadership roles.
STV News
a day ago
- Business
- STV News
Hubris, secrecy and a £122m bailout: Dundee scandal is a wake-up call for all universities
This is beyond damning. The principal and other senior managers at the University of Dundee knew their student numbers were falling and knew they were millions of pounds in deficit. But the fact that they not only failed to do anything about it but covered it up and kept spending is incredible. Attracting overseas students has been a big part of the business model for Scotland's universities for quite a few years. It worked at Dundee University – until it didn't. In 2024, the number of overseas students enrolling at Dundee fell from more than 1,200 to fewer than 400. Instead of cutting costs in line with falling income, the principal's message was one of confidence for the future and the prospect of continued growth. For months, financial papers were withheld from the university's ruling court and no one questioned what was going on. Bear in mind this is a higher education institution charged with shaping the inquiring minds of the country's future, and not one of the senior management team questioned what was going on or why they were being kept in the dark. As well as all that, the principal and his closest colleagues kept the university's financial position from the Bank of Scotland. The Gillies Report makes it clear they were guilty of a 'breach of covenant' twice – spending money from university bank accounts while knowing they were already in deficit. That's something else they kept from the University Court. I've not seen a report like this outside of the criminal courts, but it's author Professor Pamela Gillies does not believe their actions amount to criminality. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, (OSCR) however, is launching a further investigation on the back of todays report. All universities in Scotland are registered as charities. So OSCR says 'concerns remain about the governance of this charity' and they are opening an inquiry 'so that we can better understand these matters'. They will look into 'the university and its trustees, past and present, to determine whether regulatory action is required'. So everyone who sat on Dundee University's Court or played a role in senior management over the last few years will come under their investigation, including former Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander, who is now a Labour Peer in the House of Lords. This is a wake up call to universities across Scotland. Just this month MSPs on Holyrood's education committee heard from University of Edinburgh principal Sir Peter Mathieson, Edinburgh Napier University principal professor Sue Rigby, and University of the West of Scotland principal, Professor James Miller about the financial difficulties they are facing. You might remember the exchange between former Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross and Sir Peter Mathieson, who couldn't remember quite how many hundreds of thousands of pounds he was paid. Towards the end of the Gillies Report, it describes the then-Dundee University principal professor Ian Gillespie as 'an excellent public speaker' but warned there were 'many reports to this investigation that the principal frequently demonstrated hubris, or excessive pride in his role'. It added: 'Hubris is relevant insofar as it can be characterised by dangerous over self-confidence and complacency, often in combination with arrogance, contempt towards people who offer criticism and obsession with personal image and status.' That hubris almost saw the University of Dundee go bust and forced the taxpayer to cough up £122m to keep it going. This must be a wake up call not just to universities but to all those who sit on management boards of important institutions and public sector bodies. They must scrutinise and hold themselves to account because further down the line others will hold them to account. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
