The Bernard King dispute must not be allowed to impact on students at Abertay University, the students’ association has said.
Professor King, who had been suspended for several months, has refused to accept his retiral and is seeking to take the university he led for 19 years to an employment tribunal.
Management announced on Friday that he had retired and is maintaining that he is now an ex-principal.
William Mohieddeen, the new president of the students’ association, said that since Professor King’s suspension the previous president David Currie had liaised closely with the university to ensure the situation had no adverse effect on teaching, learning or the student experience.
He said, “Any further developments regarding Professor King will be handled in the appropriate forums. However, the association would like to make clear that we intend to make sure that the student experience at the university is protected and maintained at the current high level.
“The association values its constructive relationship with the university and acknowledges the work undertaken to ensure that the student experience remained positive during the last five months.”
He added, “We will continue to liaise with the university to ensure that the level of student experience and engagement in the university is maintained at a high level and the association keenly anticipates the beginning of a new chapter at Abertay.”
An Abertay spokesman said, “Our position remains that Professor King’s retirement took effect on Friday, July 1, and that we will not comment on current unresolved issues relating to his former employment.
“However, we would like to make it clear that Professor King was first given notice of his retirement date in early December and the university has sent further correspondence since that date about various aspects of his retirement.”
The spokesman said a statement released on behalf of Professor King on Monday had been the first the university had known of his clarification of his position on retirement.MediationHe said, “We welcome the commitment made by his lawyers to the desirability of continued negotiation so as to avoid further legal proceedings.”
Professor King (65), who earned more than £220,000 a year and had been one of the UK’s longest-serving university principals and vice-chancellors, has raised the possibility of mediation to resolve the dispute.
Abertay is one of the smaller universities its student numbers are around half the average and its turnover was £36 million in 2009/10, the most recent year for which accounts are available. It made a surplus of £444,000, little more than half that of the previous year, despite cutting staff numbers by 2.5% to just over 500.
The accounts also show that it paid senior management staff almost £1.4 million. In addition to his salary, the principal received a £33,000 contribution to his pension, up from £26,000 the previous year.
Professor King has been succeeded temporarily by Professor Nicholas Terry, who remains acting principal until the university court appoints a permanent replacement. This could take several months.
The dispute comes at a difficult time for universities as they face uncertainty about future funding levels.
Abertay must also decide whether to follow the strategic direction set by Professor King, with a heavy emphasis on computer gaming and digital media, or change its focus.