University of St Andrews principal Dame Sally Mapstone told a £2 million donor that less than one per cent of staff backed the rector’s controversial Gaza ceasefire message.
The institution was plunged into crisis on November 21, 2023, when Stella Maris emailed thousands of students accusing Israeli forces of weeks of “genocidal attacks”.
Ms Maris also condemned Hamas for the October 7 massacre of more than 1,000 Israelis and called for an end to the conflict.
Her message triggered an outcry from Jewish students, who said they felt “unsafe” and “fearful.”
It also left a seven-figure donation from an Israeli-linked charity hanging in the balance, with claims its senior figures were “very concerned” by the fallout.
We can reveal that, in a bid to salvage funds for a green energy project, Ms Mapstone sent a five-page 2,000-word letter to the Wolfson Foundation’s chief executive just over a week later.
‘Damaging and thoughtless’
The correspondence, in which the principal detailed a catalogue of hate incidents linked to the Israel-Palestine conflict, was released by the university after a request by The Courier.
On November 30, she wrote: “Our intelligence indicates that despite a week of headlines and argument on social media, support for the rector’s ceasefire message amounts to less than 10% of the student body and less than 1% of St Andrews staff.
“This is fundamentally a peace-loving, tolerant and inclusive community which places considerable store by those values, and it is, I think, deeply unimpressed and concerned that this issue was handled by the rector in such a damaging and thoughtless way.
“We are also a determined community, however, and I am confident that the vast majority of our students and staff will individually and collectively strive to assert their loyalty to those values, and what this means for the way we should all behave.
“I hope this detail puts what you have heard or had reported to you into a more reassuring context.
“I would be happy to discuss any aspect of this report with you.”
Ms Mapstone later said she spoke “extensively” to the chief executive of The Wolfson Foundation and insisted the £2m grant was secured “by a whisker”.
The charity has denied these claims, saying the funding was never at risk.
A spokesperson for The Wolfson Foundation told us: “That funding was not in jeopardy because of comments made by the university’s rector.”
University of St Andrews responds
An independent investigation into the controversy surrounding Ms Maris was launched in January 2024.
It was headed by Morag Ross KC, now known as Lady Ross, and shaped by the university’s governance chief Alastair Merrill.
Her report found Ms Maris had “exercised poor judgement” and was “in breach” of her responsibilities as rector and as a charity trustee.
She was stripped of her senior powers and removed as head of the university court for refusing to accept the investigation’s findings.
Her appeal against the decision was successful and she has since resumed her role as head of the university court.
A St Andrews University spokesperson said: “At no point was any influence in respect of the rector brought to bear upon the university either by Wolfson, its trustees, or the UK Government.
“This is made explicitly clear in the publicly available minutes of the Special Court Meeting of December 15.
“Wolfson was one of several groups and individuals to raise concerns about reports of antisemitic incidents at St Andrews, and the effect of the rector’s statement on the fear experienced by Jewish students in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attacks on Israel.
“Those concerns were fully addressed and dealt with prior to the Court Meeting in December 2023.
“Six months later, in July 2024, the rector was discharged from her duties for her actions and activities after she issued her statement, and because she repeatedly refused to accept that as a member of court, she was by law bound by the same responsibilities and rules as all trustees.
“The rector has been re-instated as a member and President of Court, and fellow members look forward to working with her for the good of all St Andrews students and staff.”
Conversation