ACADEMICS and students have hit back at calls to scrap planned new legislation to improve the way Scottish universities are governed.

UCU Scotland, which represents lecturers, called on the Scottish Government to press ahead with the proposals or risk the future success of the sector.

Student body NUS Scotland also backed the new laws, which would introduce a raft of changes to the way universities are run.

The intervention came after Universities Scotland, which represents university principals, urged ministers to drop the proposals, contained in the Higher Education Governance Bill.

The Bill has recommended universities' powerful ruling Courts have elected chairs in future and also contain members of trade unions for the first time.

But writing in The Herald yesterday (mon), Professor Pete Downes, convener of Universities Scotland and principal of Dundee University, said a recent public consultation on the proposals had proved they were unpopular.

The Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Scottish Council Development and Industry, the Institute of Directors and submissions from student associations at Glasgow, St Andrews, Dundee and Queen Margaret universities have all spoken out against aspects of the proposals.

He said: "Independent voices have clearly identified how the legislative proposals would reduce the diversity of chairmen and women of university courts, create a muddle of conflicting accountabilities and place universities' trade union partners in an impossible conflict of interest. Ultimately the planned legislation would reduce universities' effectiveness."

In a letter to today's Herald, David Anderson, president of UCU Scotland, said: "The principal for Dundee University argues that the very staff and students who underpin Scotland's universities should not have a greater say in how their institutions operate.

"Any delay in bringing forward legislation will further stifle staff and student engagement and risk the collegiate academic ethos which has placed our institutions firmly at the heart of Scotland's social, cultural and economic life."

Gordon Maloney, president of NUS Scotland, added: "It's disappointing, but not unsurprising, to see such strong opposition from certain quarters to finally ending the status quo on university governance.

"Universities need to stop defending the old way of doing things and recognise the need to change and reform for the benefit of their staff, students and wider communities."

The row comes at the close of a Scottish Government consultation on good governance in higher education which proposes a number of changes, including the introduction of trade union members to ruling Courts.

The proposed Bill follows criticism by lecturers at the universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow that consultations on proposed cuts to courses and jobs were flawed.

There have also been long-running concerns over the spiralling salaries of principals and the increasing autonomy of their management teams.

The consultation comes after the publication of a review of university governance chaired by Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, principal of Robert Gordon University, in Aberdeen.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said the bill aimed "to modernise and strengthen governance, embedding the principles of democracy and accountability in the higher education sector".

She added: "All views and ideas offered by stakeholders on the provisions for the bill are now being carefully considered and we will continue to engage with university leaders, unions and other interested parties as we progress towards introduction. This will inform the shape of the Bill."

The consultation also looked at a transfer of the Privy Council's role in relation to higher education governance north of the Border to a new Scottish based committee.

It also seeks to set out a new definition of academic freedom, clarify the role of principals and ensure the Senate body of academics was "fully representative".

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