Happy New Year. Here are the answers to the 25 questions I posted on 13th December. Nobody attempted all of them, so the prize remains unclaimed. I will, though, offer a commendation to Michael Carley – clearly a promising VC-fancier.
Which vice-chancellor, principal or provost (and one ex):
- Raised the bar for academic staff….and then lowered it again? [Chris Brink, Newcastle University]
- Rejected government calls for universities to sponsor schools, saying it would be ‘a distraction from our core mission’? [Louise Richardson, University of Oxford]
- Told a meeting of ECRs “we have no security to offer you. It is so easy for us to replace you”? [Michael Arthur, UCL]
- Criticised university leaders for being too wedded to outdated notions of the heroic in leadership, and acting like Zeus not Athena? [Janet Beer, University of Liverpool]
- Caused controversy by saying “society doesn’t need a 21-year-old who is a sixth century historian”. [Patrick Johnston, Queen’s University Belfast]
- Reportedly added £2 worth of biscuits to a £20,000 expenses bill? [Dame Glynis Breakwell, University of Bath]
- Lost a no-confidence vote by staff after unpopular cost-cutting measures. [David Bell, University of Reading, or Peter Horrocks, Open University]
- Was knighted in 2016? [Sir Paul Curran, City University London]
- Did the mannequin challenge at the graduation ceremony? [Jane Harrington, University of the West of England]
- Said “great teaching is not inconsistent with academic freedom, it depends on it”? [Sir Keith Burnett, University of Sheffield]
- Has been appointed Chair of the TEF? [Chris Husbands, Sheffield Hallam University]
- Said the TEF is ‘a further safeguard for students, one that has now been largely accepted by the sector’? [Edward Peck, Nottingham Trent University]
- Does the open day talk for the mathematics course at their university? [Alistair Fitt, Oxford Brookes University]
- Said Brexit is “the catalyst we all need”? [Sir David Greenaway, University of Nottingham]
- Was the most recent VC to appear on Desert Island Discs? [Louise Richardson, University of Oxford]
- Is the UK’s longest-serving VC? [John Cater, Edge Hill University]
- Heads the league table for spending on air fares among VCs in Wales? [Colin Riordan, Cardiff University]
- Born in Germany, moved to Ireland, back to Germany, back to Ireland, to England, back to Ireland and now in Scotland. Best known for his report on governance in Scottish HE. [Ferdinand Von Prondzynski, Robert Gordon University]
- Is the most highly ranked VC on the Wonkhe HE Power List 2016? [Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, University of Cambridge]
- Said, “Professors are really like small business owners”? [Alice Gast, Imperial College]
- Dressed up as Bonnie Tyler for a charity fund raiser? [Dominic Shellard, De Montfort University]
- Used to be a van driver, and once crowd surfed among his students? [Nick Petford, University of Northampton]
- Was reportedly once housed in a homeless hostel? [Mary Stuart, University of Lincoln]
- Spent £95,000 on a set of ceremonial chairs? [Wendy Purcell, Ex-VC Plymouth University]
- The answer is Professor Sir Steve Smith, University of Exeter. Suggested questions in comments please. [Disappointingly, there were no suggested questions. But just who is that Santa sipping a marguerita in the photo above?]
More next year, so be good in 2017, vice-chancellors. Be very good.
Academic Irregularities 