Dundee University staff and students have spoken of their shock and anger at the “catastrophic failure in financial governance” at the institution revealed in a major independent probe.
They gathered in the Dalhousie Building at 2pm on Thursday afternoon to hear the findings of the investigation carried out by former Glasgow Caledonian principal Pamela Gillies and commissioned by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).
Speakers at the town hall event included Ms Gillies and SFC chief executive Francesca Osowska.
Those in attendance learned Dundee University bosses breached ethics rules, ignored financial red flags and operated in “isolation of facts”.
They heard the institution’s most senior leaders repeatedly failed in their duties as it hurtled towards a cash crisis, leaving it on the brink of collapse.
Unions called for the University Executive Group (UEG) to resign, which prompted applause from those in the room.
The meeting finished a few minutes later, with no questions allowed.
‘We’d be insolvent’
Some staff were visibly upset as they exited the Dalhousie Building while others called on Shane O’Neill to stand down as interim principal.
At 3pm, Ms Gillies’ findings were made public and within 15 minutes, Mr O’Neill resigned.
The Courier spoke to staff and students outside the Dalhousie Building as they left the meeting.
Mark Dorward – who has worked at the university for nearly 18 years – told us: “The entire UEG has to go.
“The university needs to be rebuilt from scratch – it’s a mess.
“If this were any other business, we’d be insolvent. That’s been made clear to us.”
We revealed earlier this month that Dundee University has opened a voluntary redundancy scheme as part of a plan to reduce full-time posts by 300.
Mark added: “People are losing their jobs left, right and centre before the compulsory redundancies.
“I’ve been at this university for nearly 18 years, and that’s the way they’re treating members of staff.”
‘Shocking stuff’
Incoming members of the Dundee University Students’ Association (DUSA) also stopped to speak to The Courier after the findings of the Gillies report emerged.
Kyle Graham, vice president of representation, said: “It’s shocking some of the stuff that’s come out today, to put it bluntly.
“It’s a right mess. The level of incompetence is worrying.
“The financial mismanagement has not been shied away from in the past, but finding out the scale of it today was something else.
“There has been a complete lack of transparency everywhere.”
Speaking before the news broke of Shane O’Neill’s resignation, Kyle said: “If he hasn’t resigned by the end of the day, I’ll be extremely surprised.”
‘Comprehensive takedown’
Tánaiste Custance, the incoming DUSA president, says the independent probe by Ms Gillies and international audit firm BDO was robust.
He said: “The fear was that the report would have been a whitewash – that was not a whitewash.
“That was a comprehensive takedown of the financial mismanagement, incompetence at senior levels of the university, including the court, the University Executive Group (UEG), the senior management and in particular, Shane O’Neill.
“Maybe there are others who will also need to go. There needs to be a serious process of reform.”
He added: “It is very clear that the University of Dundee has had a catastrophic failure in financial governance.
“There also needs to be a change in the culture, of allowing dissent, of having genuine collaboration with staff.
“Instead of a regime of secrecy and fear we should have openness and transparency”.
SFC chief executive Ms Osowska said the findings of the report made for “difficult reading” for those at the university.
She added: “I hope this marks a turning point in the future of the University of Dundee.”
“The failings of governance really stand out.
“What governance means is that you have different leadership layers in an organisation, whether it’s a university or a private company, and their job is to scrutinise and constructively challenge.
“That wasn’t happening so that’s a key area that needs to be addressed.”
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