A STUDENT leader from one of Scotland's oldest universities has attacked new laws on the way institutions are run as "profoundly botched".
Liam King, president of the Students' Representative Council of Glasgow University, also accused SNP ministers of a "ramshackle and embarrassing" approach.
The attack came in a letter to Angela Constance, the Education Secretary, as the Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Bill passes through the Scottish Parliament.
However, there is still confusion over plans to introduce new elected chairs of universities' powerful ruling Courts because Scotland's ancient universities - including Glasgow - already have elected rectors who chair Court.
Ms Constance, herself a former president of the SRC, said it would be up to institutions to decide how the roles would work together, but Mr King said she should have been aware of the difficulties this would present.
His letter said: "I am perplexed Cabinet Secretary as to how the Scottish Government has managed to botch this Bill so profoundly.
"From inadvertent clauses that risked turning Scotland's universities into public bodies to utter ignorance of the relationship between the role of rector and the role of chair of Court. This Bill has been an unmitigated disaster.
"It is that issue of the rector which puzzles me so deeply. The Scottish Government's response... still does not make clear after months what the proposed election of a chair of Court is all about."
Mr King said the role of rector was part of a "uniquely Scottish tradition" which placed students and democracy at the heart of university governance.
He added: "Having an elected chair at ancient universities whose right to chair meetings is superseded by the rector, but whose duties and functions will still be that of other elected chairs elsewhere, and whose constituency partially overlaps with rector, is destined to create such complexity and confusion that it is undeniable that interest in an understanding of both roles will diminish.
"I have been deeply disappointed by the way in which the Scottish Government has approached this issue. It has been ramshackle and embarrassing and ultimately threatens to undermine a proud Scottish tradition - democracy in Scotland universities and good governance."
Education Secretary Angela Constance accused of "botched" reforms
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "The aim of this Bill is to strengthen governance in Scottish higher education institutions by ensuring membership of governing bodies and other structures is balanced, fair and inclusive.
"We simply want to enable every voice on campus to be heard and contribute more transparent and inclusive governance in these institutions.
“The Scottish Government has no intention of removing or diminishing the rights or role of rectors in our ancient universities. The way in which rectors will interact with new elected senior lay members on governing bodies will be, as now, a matter for each autonomous institution."
The origins of the Bill date back to 2011 when a number of universities, including Glasgow and Strathclyde, brought forward course cuts.
Unions felt consultations with staff and students were rudimentary and decisions were motivated by economic considerations rather than academic ones.
There have also been long-running concerns over the spiralling salaries of principals and the increasing autonomy of their management teams.
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