Suspended Abertay University principal and vice-chancellor Professor Bernard King has retired from the university with immediate effect.
Professor King, who was suspended from his post in February after which he took the university to an employment tribunal has apparently given up his attempt to be reinstated to the high-profile post.
The shock move, revealed in a leaked email from an Abertay staff source, took place on Friday.
Professor King’s retiral follows a period of huge turmoil for Abertay, after six months of claim and counter-claim by various parties since both Professor King and his deputy, Professor Nicholas Terry were suspended.
Professor Terry was mysteriously suspended on January 21, but was reinstated as acting principal and vice-chancellor shortly after Professor King’s suspension from his £222,000-a-year post. Professor King has subsequently taken the university to an employment tribunal, claiming the university had reneged on a promise to extend his contract, however no public hearing has yet taken place.
Professor King had intended to break the news of his retiral to all staff at an official briefing next week. However, following the leaked email, which had apparently mistakenly gone out to a small group of staff, the court decided to alert the entire staff of the new twist.
Following the leak, Professor Nicholas Terry decided to inform all members of staff of the latest development. He wrote:
“Dear Colleague,
“As you know, the Chair of Court and I will be giving an address to all staff next Wednesday, at which our intention is to bring you up to date with regard to the current governance issues with which the university is dealing and also to give further details of our recently-approved Strategic Plan 2011-15 and related plans.
“One of the matters we wished to report to you face-to-face at next week’s address was that Professor Bernard King has now retired from the university (effective from today, 1 July).
“However, earlier today we became aware that an email to this effect had gone out to one group of staff last night.
“While the email is accurate, it is regrettable that it was sent out without the knowledge of either the chair or myself: it was most certainly not our intention for such a significant piece of news to be released to staff piecemeal.
“I have therefore taken the decision to email you all as soon as possible, conscious that a Friday afternoon is not the most satisfactory timing for such communication, to confirm what some staff already know.
“The address to all staff next Wednesday afternoon will still go ahead and the chair and I will endeavour to provide more context and detail for you on this matter, as well as on the future plans and prospects of the university.”
The Abertay source said it was hoped Professor King’s move would bring to an end the political in-fighting which has dogged the university since the start of the year.
During that period, three prominent members of the university court, Tayside Police Chief Constable Justine Curran, chief executive of Perth and Kinross Council Bernadette Malone and Sylvia Halkerston, from food company Macphie, resigned from the court, while a pressure group calling itself the Bernard King Support Group pushed for a vote of no confidence in Professor Terry and called for the immediate reinstatement of Professor King and the resignation of the entire senior management team.
However, it’s believed Professor King’s employment tribunal action has not been dismissed and may still proceed. A clue to that effect might be contained in the statement from a spokesman for Abertay University who declined to comment further.
He said, “Professor Bernard King has retired from his post as principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Abertay, Dundee. There are a number of outstanding issues relating to Professor King’s employment that remain to be resolved.
“Because of these factors, we will not comment further at this time.”
There was no further information on whether Professor Terry will now be officially appointed as principal and vice-chancellor of Abertay.