Advertisement

University vice chancellors rack up £8 million in expenses, including claims for sticks of rock and 'pornstar' Martinis

Sticks of rock were among the items claimed for in university vice chancellor expenses - Getty Creative
Sticks of rock were among the items claimed for in university vice chancellor expenses - Getty Creative

Luxury hampers, sticks of rock and a 'pornstar Martini', are among the some of the items university vice chancellors have claimed for on their expenses, an investigation has found.

Senior university managers, who are already under fire over the size of their salaries, have claimed almost £8 million in expenses over a two-year period.

Much of the expenses went on international trips, with top university managers enjoying first class fights, five star hotel stays and fine dining as they toured the world promoting their institutions.

But they also racked up a fortune in expenses claiming for a range of more unlikely items, including gifts ranging from luxury cushions and mugs to silver salvers.

One university even paid £1,600 to transport its vice chancellor's dog from Australia when he relocated.

The University of Surrey paid to relocate a Maltese terrier belonging to its new vice chancellor to the UK from Australia - Credit: Getty
The University of Surrey paid to relocate a Maltese terrier belonging to its new vice chancellor to the UK from Australia Credit: Getty

Professor Steve West, vice chancellor of the University of the West of England (UWE), was the biggest spender on the list, claiming, £43,000 in 18-months - with around £10,000 spent on chauffeur driven cars.

As well as his role with the university, Professor West, is also on the board of of the Office for Students, the higher education regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), which was launched last month in order to hold universities to account and promote students' interests.

A spokesman for the UWE said his role with the OfS and with the High Education Funding Council for England required him to travel.

Lecturers are striking over pension rights
Lecturers are striking over pension rights

Details of the lavish spending habits of the heads of Britain's higher education establishments comes at a time when their lecturer colleagues began a month of walkouts in the latest stage of a bitter dispute over pensions.

The figures were obtained by Channel 4's Dispatches programme through a series of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.

Of the 157 universities approached, eight, including Cambridge and Leeds declined to cooperate and five, including Manchester and Oxford did not respond.

Southampton University had the highest expense claims, amounting to £400,000 for 17 of its senior managers.

The Mandarin Oriental hotel in Singapore was one of the destinations visited
The Mandarin Oriental hotel in Singapore was one of the destinations visited

A spokesman for the university insisted that all the claims were legitimate and had been carefully scrutinised.

International travel accounted for a large portion of expenses, with Sir Keith Burnett, vice chancellor at the University of Sheffield, claiming £3,107.54 for a five night stay at the luxury Mandarin Oriental hotel in Singapore.

Professor Graham Galbraith, the vice chancellor of the University of Portsmouth, claimed £5,187.33 for flights and a four night stay at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

One expense claim even included a 'pornstar Martini'
One expense claim even included a 'pornstar Martini'

But the FOI requests also uncovered details of smaller items, including a set of £32.50 Laura Ashley mugs and a drink called a 'pornstar Martini', which both appeared on the expenses of senior figures Leeds Trinity University.

The University of Winchester revealed it had paid expenses for a Fortnum & Mason hamper and also a £5 cushion.

When Professor Max Lu joined the University of Surrey from Queensland University in Australia, the British institution gave him a £15,000 relocation package, which included £1,600 to fly his Maltese terrier dog Oscar to the UK.

Defending the payment, a spokesman said it was part of "reasonable relocation expenses".

Senior managers at Brighton University even submitted a claim for sticks of rock.

The revelations come at a time when remuneration packages for university vice chancellors is coming in for intense scrutiny.

A hamper from Fortnum & Mason was also among the items claimed for 
A hamper from Fortnum & Mason was also among the items claimed for

Universities are currently raking in almost £17 billion a year from students, who are paying up to £9,250 a year in tuition fees.

University and College Union (UCU) general secretary Sally Hunt said: "Higher education has had to endure months of terrible headlines over the pay and perks scandals of those at the top.

"The lack of self-awareness while they feather their own nests yet hold down staff pay, use insecure contracts and try to slash pensions, is quite staggering."

Robert Halfon, chairman of the education select committee, said there needed to be greater transparency about university expenses.

He told Dispatches: "Those kinds of examples are pretty shocking, dare I say it being an MP, but the dog example is slightly comparable to duck houses which caused the expense scandal for members of parliament in the first place."

He added: "Well this is public money, and just as it's a requirement now for MPs to publish their expenses, universities should be subject to the same procedures."

A spokesman for the Department of Education, said: "Universities have the freedom to manage their own finances but students and taxpayers rightly expect value for money in how they operate. Expenses should, in all cases, be reasonable.

"The new regulator, the Office for Students, will also use its powers to ensure transparency and accountability when it comes to senior pay."

- Dispatches - Britain's University Spending Scandal - is broadcast on Monday February 26 at 8pm on Channel 4.