Former Dundee University principal Iain Gillespie resigned by text, The Courier can reveal.
Professor Gillespie quit his £305,000 a year role abruptly on December 6, weeks after he revealed job losses as a result of a spiralling deficit.
But it can be revealed that rather than a formal resignation, he simply texted former court chair Amanda Millar that he would be leaving his role.
One senior insider told The Courier it showed the “casual disrespect” Professor Gillespie had for the staff his action had put at risk of unemployment.
Professor Gillespie’s resignation came under the spotlight at Holyrood’s education committee on Wednesday.
Ms Millar was asked whether she had asked Professor Gillespie to stand down.
She revealed she had shared concerns with him on November 29 but did not directly tell him to stand down.
Asked if she would had he not resigned, Ms Millar said she would have taken “additional steps” if it had become necessary.
Dundee-based Labour MSP Michael Marra said: “The cavalier attitude to the fate of the university of the former leadership has been proven in evidence and testimony.
“It is little surprise at this point to hear of these reports but they will leave a bad taste in the mouth of all those whose futures hang in the balance. I look forward to hearing his own in account in parliament.”
The former principal is due to appear before the committee to take questions from MSPs at 8.30am.
Gillies Review criticism
As well as the circumstances of his exit – and the six months salary he received – he is likely to be asked to address the intense criticism he faced in the independent probe by Professor Pamela Gillies.
Professor Gillies found bosses had breached ethics rules, ignored financial red flags and operated in “isolation of facts”.
He is also condemned for presenting an unrealistically positive picture of the university’s financial health.
On the failures in management, Professor Gillies said in her report: “They include poor financial judgement, inadequate management and reporting, poor monitoring of the financial sustainability key performance indicator, lack of agility in responding to a fall in income by the university leadership and weak governance in relation to financial accountability by the court.
“Financial oversight was lacking when most needed.”
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