University of Stirling Vice-Chancellor and Principal Gerry McCormac has received a salary rise of £6,000 for the year 2015-16.
This rise amounts to an increase of 2.3% from £261,000 in the previous academic year of 2014-15, an increase above the rate of inflation.
Last academic year also saw the number of staff at the University of Stirling earning more than £100,000 per year rise to 16, from 12 in 2014-15.
A spokesperson for the university told Brig: “The Principal’s salary is set by the university’s remuneration committee, at a level that is appropriate to the size and scale of the job and is adjusted in line with performance.
“The Principal only accepts pay increase awards given to all staff.
“Any increase beyond this is donated to the Vice-Chancellor’s Fund, to support a range of University of Stirling student projects, to directly enhance the student experience on campus.”
Union President Dave Keenan, who as a candidate called for the Principal to take a pay cut and invest part of his salary in student accommodation, struck a diplomatic note.
Keenan said: “The Principal’s salary is set every year by the remuneration committee and takes into account pay across the sector.
“For several years now, the Principal has kindly donated his salary increase to the Vice-Chancellor’s fund of which our clubs and societies and individual students have been able to apply for funding from.”
While McCormac’s pay has been the subject of contention in recent years, his salary is modest in comparison to Scotland’s highest paid principal: Strathclyde University’s Sir Jim McDonald.
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McDonald receives a staggering £360,000 a year, and has received stark criticism from groups such as NUS Scotland.
Speaking to the Herald newspaper, NUS president Vonnie Sadlan criticised the pay of principals in higher education as “disappointing”.
“In a sector facing budget cuts, with staff being overworked and underpaid, and too many students struggling to get by on the support on offer.
“We cannot, and should not, accept a system at any university where senior staff are on a separate pay scale to other staff.”
