• Highest paid university boss is Andrew Hamilton at Oxford University who earned 424,000
  • Average university head was paid 239,000

By Rob Cooper

Last updated at 1:42 AM on 15th February 2012


A university chief came under fire yesterday over his 419,000-a-year pay packet as student leaders branded it a 'huge insult'.

Professor David Eastwood, vice-chancellor of Birmingham University, accepted a 29,000 bonus last year on top of his 323,000 salary and 67,000 in pension and other benefits.

Accounts show the 53-year-old's total pay for 2010/11, which includes the 16,000 running costs of his grace-and-favour university residence, was 7 per cent up on the previous year.

Fatcat: Professor David Eastwood who earned almost 420,000 in the last academic year

Fatcat: Professor David Eastwood who earned almost 420,000 in the last academic year

His basic pay is 73,000 higher than his predecessor's just five years before – an inflation-busting 29 per cent rise. It comes as the university is preparing to treble tuition fees to 9,000-a-year and follows a Government warning to limit vice-chancellors' pay.

Yet while some university heads took pay cuts last year, 56 enjoyed salary rises, with 13 accepting increases of more than 5 per cent.

Average pay for university heads last year was 239,000, while the highest-paid was Professor Andrew Hamilton, vice-chancellor of Oxford, on 424,000, just ahead of Professor Eastwood's 419,000.

Liam Burns, president of the National Union of Students, called the pay rises 'outrageous'. He said: 'Increasing your own wage while simultaneously making the case for students to pay fees is at best politically naive and at worst a huge insult to students.'

Mark Harrop, head of the Birmingham Guild of Students, said: 'We feel the university should pay closer attention to economic sensitivities when deciding the vice-chancellor and senior management's pay, especially when average staff salary increases were well below inflation.'

Big grin: Professor Andrew Hamilton, the Oxford University VC, pocketed 424,000 last year

Big grin: Professor Andrew Hamilton, the Oxford University VC, pocketed 424,000 last year

A spokesman for Business Secretary Vince Cable said: 'Ministers have called on universities to demonstrate pay restraint and expect that the lead on this should come from the very top.'

Professor Eastwood, an Oxford graduate who is married with three children, previously led the university funding quango, the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

The university said that he had requested a salary freeze last year and that the increase in his pay packet was partly down to him having waived half his bonus the previous year.

Ed Smith, Birmingham's pro-chancellor, said: 'Professor David Eastwood is the highly experienced head of a complex and successful organisation with a global reach. The university is a very significant enterprise with around 28,000 students, 6,000 staff and a turnover of over 460million.'


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We post comments, rows will go on. But nothings going to change, the ordinary people will continue to be taxed to the hilt, reducing theirs spending power - which closes down businesses up and down the country. But the elite will continue to reward themselves more and more. This is not a democracy. - Mags, Edinburgh, 15/2/2012 1:02------------No Mags - but here we all have a PC and a list of MPs, if enough make the 'member' aware that the seat they are loaned can be withdrawn, it would I am sure concentrate the mind on democracy. We could have the democratic Personal Computer advisory party - I would not do that if I were you!

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So if this guy is worth 3 times what we pay our PM, then why is he not in number 10? - Gareth Price, Manchester, 15/2/2012 5:18-----------not a good argument - my dog is worth three times what this plank is paid.

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OI" AM CONSIDERABLY RICHER THAN YOW. "BUSTING"

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The same trend has occurred here in Australia with some university VCs even topping 1 million Australian Dollars per year (around 650,000 pound sterling). When challenged the usual response is to compare their remuneration with CEOs of large companies. A ridiculous response indeed - universities are not profit motivated businesses and their VC s are not answerable to shareholders. Rather they enjoy an enviable tenure with no teaching or research involved. A university is, or ought to be a place of high learning and scholarship or it serves no purpose. Greed at their top level (and in Australia and the UK funded largely by the taxpayer and large student fees) is beyond justification.

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Is it any wonder why there's no money in the kitty.I'm shocked!!

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So if this guy is worth 3 times what we pay our PM, then why is he not in number 10?

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This is making money go out of fashion,so they can play their silly Monopolly game of,who is Numero Uno.In excess of 200 pounds an hour.Surely knighthood material.Nice to know as a pensioner I am in it with him Dave.

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Now we know where our fees go! How does he manage?

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I'd like to see his job description and the cv that justifies this ridiculous salary. I fear that the academic community think the rest of us are stupid. And whilst this is allowed to happen, our politicians should be ashamed of themselves.

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We post comments, rows will go on. But nothings going to change, the ordinary people will continue to be taxed to the hilt, reducing theirs spending power - which closes down businesses up and down the country. But the elite will continue to reward themselves more and more. This is not a democracy.

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