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Islington Tribune - by TOM FOOT
Published: 20 March 2009

Boss quits at university hit by cash crisis

Shocked staff told 550 posts face axe

THE vice-chancellor of London Metropolitan University has quit days after releasing a list of hundreds of staff facing redundancy.
The Holloway Road-based university announced the early retirement of Brian Roper yesterday (Thursday). He will leave with “immediate effect”.
The university has been plunged into a cash crisis since a government audit found it had wrongly claimed £38million in higher education funding over three years and demanded its return.
Mr Roper later announced proposals to axe 550 full-time jobs, leading to a series of student and staff demonstrations calling for his dismissal.
In a statement, chairman of governors Peter Anwyl said: “Brian Roper has made a significant contribution to the university. On behalf of the board of governors, the university would like to pay tribute to his energy and determination in delivering the university’s mission and to thank him for his support and efforts in his time here.”
An announcement on his successor is to be made “in due course”.
In January, the Higher Education Funding Council of England announced plans to claw back the £38million from London Met and an immediate cut of £15million in its annual teaching budget this April. It is believed the university claimed funds over three years for students who did not finish courses.
Mr Roper, who was chief executive of North London University, which merged with London Guildhall University to become London Met in 2002, sparked concern among staff at a meeting on Thursday last week when he released a list of at least 550 full-time academic and staff posts facing redundancy.
Speaking after Mr Roper’s departure, University and College Union London regional official Barry Jones said: “We have not yet been able to engage with management in a way we would have liked to. We are hoping we will be able to discuss these matters in a different way now.”
He added that last Thursday’s meeting had left staff wondering if their jobs were to be axed. “People are feeling vulnerable and nobody knows who is going and who is staying,” he added. “We want to make sure job cuts are the last resort, which appears to be the opposite of what management has been proposing.”
Mr Jones added that the university’s accounts showed £25million in its coffers following the sale of a student hall of residence.
The union has criticised London Met for advertising four faculty and departmental business manager posts with salaries ranging between £57,231 and £69,951.
Islington North Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn has tabled an Early Day Motion calling for the government to halt its funding cuts to London Met during the recession.

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I GUESS Tony McNulty will soon be available as a replacement. He has experience, having worked at London Met (when it was UNL, before becoming an MP. He's had senior experience and he's good at looking after funds and multiple sites.
R. Slack