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Date set for former Dundee University principal’s Holyrood grilling

Iain Gillespie will be quizzed by MSPs in-person but former international vice-principal Wendy Alexander is unable to attend.

Former Dundee University principal Iain Gillespie.
Former Dundee University principal Iain Gillespie.

Former Dundee University principal Iain Gillespie will face direct questions from MSPs over the institution’s financial crisis on June 26.

The ex-university chief will be grilled in-person by Holyrood’s education committee on the final day before parliament finishes up for the summer.

Chief operating officer Jim McGeorge, ex-finance director Peter Fotheringham, and former university court chair Amanda Millar will all be quizzed a day earlier.

Former international vice-principal Wendy Alexander is unable to make the hearing, so will be writing to MSPs instead, committee chairman Douglas Ross said in a statement on Wednesday.

Dundee University vice principal Wendy Alexander.
Former Dundee University vice-principal Wendy Alexander. Image: Alan Richardson/DC Thomson.

We previously reported that the Scottish Parliament’s powerful education committee postponed its planned hearing for university executives.

It was feared any explosive comments would cause further damage to the institution as it recovers.

The university is tackling a £35 million deficit and initially proposed cutting up to 700 members of staff.

Early attempts to get key figures to attend parliament proved difficult.

Prof Gillespie declined an initial invite to the education committee on April 2 because he was travelling.

Dundee University chief operating officer Jim McGeorge. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson.

Mr McGeorge – on leave from the university – also snubbed MSPs because he is still currently employed by the institution.

The committee, led by ex-Tory leader Douglas Ross, was exploring ways to compel former executives to attend.

An extraordinary first round of hearings took place at Holyrood in March.

Current Dundee University executives laid bare the scale of the crisis at the institution as they were questioned for three hours.

Dundee University principal Shane O'Neill
Interim principal Shane O’Neill. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson.

Interim principal Shane O’Neill even refused to rule out criminalty, admitting there had been “incompetence” at the very top.

Meanwhile, acting court chair Tricia Bey told MSPs the university could have run out of cash by June without financial support.

The Courier reported last month how the number of potential job losses has been scaled down to 300 in a fresh recovery plan.

But it was warned this will require “significant” public funding over a two-year period.

We revealed former principal Mr Gillespie was given six months’ salary despite quitting with immediate effect in December.

He has been urged to hand back the £150,000-plus pay-out.

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