Former Dundee University vice-principal Lady Wendy Alexander was offered overseas trips and a pay-off after she challenged the institution’s failing leadership, it can be revealed for the first time.
In startling evidence to Holyrood’s education committee the Labour peer sets out her attempts to steer the university away from crisis and the punishment she says she received as a result.
She reports repeated challenges to principal Professor Iain Gillespie, who later quit, but it is understood she was labelled obstructive and humiliated by others on the university executive as a result.
The Courier has spoken to several senior university sources with direct knowledge of how events unfolded, all of whom corroborate Lady Wendy’s account.
Wendy Alexander claims she was frozen out at Dundee University
They confirm the vice-principal international, responsible for overseeing the university’s footprint abroad and recruitment of fee-paying students, was slowly stripped of her responsibilities and frozen out of decision-making.
She was denied access to key documents and told not to meet members of the university’s governing court after attempting to sound the alarm.
As a result she was effectively managed out, was told the principal wanted her to move on and offered pay-offs to do so quietly. She instead chose to retire.
The former university executive has faced criticism from the SNP, who insiders say have targeted her because of her background as a Labour politician.
Lady Wendy was a minister in the previously Labour-led Scottish Government before becoming leader of the party. She is now a baroness in the House of Lords.
One senior insider told The Courier: “Wendy was a name. Worst of all she was a Labour name.
“Some have been desperate to lay the blame at her feet. Anyone who really knew what was going knew that was not true.”
Despite her apparently admirable attempts, Lady Wendy is understood to be reflective on her role and sources close to her say she believes there were moments she may have been able to do more.
‘Inner sanctum’
The politician is unable to give evidence in person at Holyrood’s education committee next week but has submitted a 15-page statement. She calls for full transparency and wishes for the full circumstances of the crisis to become public knowledge.
In it, she sets out the unnecessary risks she claims the university took and her attempts to raise concern.
She describes how the university executive group (UEG) was frozen out by Prof Gillespie, his then-deputy Prof Shane O’Neill and chief operating officer Dr Jim McGeorge.
The Gillies Report details how this “triumvirate” effectively ran the university in “isolation of facts”.
Lady Wendy tells the committee: “UEG was progressively sidelined with decisions taken elsewhere.
“There appeared an inner sanctum, meeting regularly, of the principal, (Prof O’Neill), and (Dr McGeorge).
“Concerns about the lack of transparency was regularly raised at UEG; however, challenge was strongly discouraged. Many senior professional service leaders chose to exit.”
Despite being responsible for a quadrupling in international student recruitment income, Lady Wendy says this strategy was abandoned for failed globalisation partnerships.
Pay-off was ‘ethically and morally wrong’
“I, personally, was progressively frozen out of meetings, my objectives changed, data withheld and when I challenged the absence/adequacy of financial information in September 2024, I was then asked to leave.
“I declined the offer of overseas trips at the university’s expense to be followed by a generous settlement payment. Quite simply it seemed unethical and morally wrong.”
Documentary evidence seen by The Courier appears to confirm this account. The university repeatedly changed Lady Wendy’s job description over time, reducing the prominence of role in international recruitment.
Lady Wendy also sets out her attempts to raise serious concern with the financial operation of the university.
Raising concerns a ‘lonely experience’
She adds: “I put my concerns in writing on each of these financial management issues including: ensuring the revenue line was not overly optimistic; the scale of budgeted savings and their assurance; the absence of management accounts, and my cash flow concerns.
“It was a lonely experience. Verbally I was told not to interfere in areas that were the (finance director’s) responsibility. The principal made clear, via (Dr McGeorge), that he wanted me to leave in early October 2024.”
She concludes by saying she feels “incredible sadness” for the university and its staff.
She points out that as the most senior woman on the university executive, she was punished for seeking assurance of the financial position.
“It is wrong to exit those who, like me, sought financial information and assurance,” she adds.
Her contribution is likely to make next week’s committee hearings explosive as Dr McGeorge and Prof Gillespie come under questioning.
The former finance director and chairperson of court will also be quizzed by MSPs.
Prof O’Neill, who left the university within minutes of the Gillies Report being published, has also been recalled to give evidence. It is not yet known if he plans to accept.
The Courier has made repeated attempts to contact Prof Gillespie.
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