A UNIVERSITY has come under fire after refusing to reveal whether its principal will be paid £55,000 a year for a non-executive role on the board of a leading company.

Strathclyde University, in Glasgow, said the private remuneration of principal Sir Jim McDonald - who receives a salary package worth £303,000 - was not a matter for them.

The controversy was sparked after the Glasgow-based Weir Group, one of the world's top engineering firms, announced Sir Jim would become a non-executive director from January following the retirement of Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, the former defence secretary.

The company's accounts show the minimum payment for a non-executive director is £55,000 per annum.

Mary Senior, Scotland official for the UCU union, which represents academics and support staff, said lecturers were already concerned about the lack of transparency on pay.

She said: "While we welcome links between our universities and business, Strathclyde University must be transparent and make clear whether Sir Jim is drawing an outside income in addition to his salary as principal.

"If he is getting an additional pay packet this will not go down well with lecturers who may be losing thousands of pounds in pensions benefits."

Gordon Maloney, president of NUS Scotland, also called for greater transparency.

He said: "We have real concerns about the level of involvement by business in education and how our institutions are involving themselves.

"Being a university principal is more than a full-time job and many people will rightly question how much time these types of outside interests take up as well as the pay and benefits they attract.

"It's vital to secure confidence that there's full transparency about what this means for both the individual and the institution he leads."

A spokeswoman for the university said: "Strathclyde has a strong tradition of working closely with business and industry and we welcome our staff taking up appointments such as these as it enables the university to stay connected to business, ultimately for the benefit of the economy and academic advancement."

The university said Sir Jim was fully committed to his role as principal and that the non-executive role would be undertaken alongside his university duties.

Charles Berry, chairman of the Weir Group, praised the work of Lord Robertson over the past decade of service with the board.

He added: "I would also like to take the opportunity to welcome the appointment of Sir Jim to the board. He is one of the UK's most respected engineers and academic leaders.

"His expertise in power markets and the development of world-class research and development programmes mean I am certain he will make a significant contribution to the board and to the future success of the group."

Sir Jim also chairs the Institute for Energy and Environment and the Scotland Research Partner-ship in Engineering, as well as being a member of the Scottish Enterprise Board and the Scottish Science Advisory Council. He has also recently become a member of the UK Trade and Investment Energy Excellence Board.

He chairs the Scottish Energy Technology Partnership and co-chairs the Energy Advisory Board in Scotland.

In 2010 the Weir Group was fined £3 million after admitting bribing allies of Saddam Hussein to win lucrative contracts in Iraq in breach of UN sanctions against the former Iraqi ruler's regime.