University of Portsmouth's vice-chancellor's pay increases to £273,000 as institution sheds 207 jobs

Accounts show a committee agreed to pay vice-chancellor Professor Graham Galbraith £273,000 from August last year '“ up from £266,000 the previous year.

His salary could have already increased further when the committee met late this year but the university has not yet published details.

Published accounts say the remuneration committee '“ which sets Prof Galbraith's pay '“ ruled he had provided '˜effective leadership', saw an improvement in the university's performance and '˜maintained a firm focus upon achieving key strategic outcomes'.

It also added he hit a majority of objectives set. Prof Galbraith rejected a £5,000 bonus offered to him for '˜exceptional performance'.

But it comes as the accounts reveal 207 people took voluntary severance, were made redundant at the end of their contract or took severance payments at a cost of £4.294m in the year ending July 2018. Around 80 new positions have been made.

The university anticipated a £4.5m drop in income from tuition fees in 2018/19, with the same the next year. This is due to a government freeze on fees and a drop in the number of 18-year-olds.

A university spokeswoman said: '˜About 30 university staff availed themselves of the option of voluntary redundancy following the closure of a hall of residence.

'˜Only one member of staff was made compulsorily redundant as part of this process. There was no redeployment opportunity.'

She added: '˜The voluntary severance scheme was proposed, designed, developed and managed in partnership with the unions.

'˜Its outcomes include allowing the university to make 80-plus new positions available in strategically important areas of growth.

'˜We are currently advertising and recruiting to these new positions.'

It comes after The News revealed the university is making cuts to departments but spent £800,000 on a rebrand, including a new logo.

The number of other senior staff paid more than £100,000 has increased from 10 to 15.

Four people were paid £140,000-£144,999 in the academic year 2017/18, up from two in 2016/17.

Prof Galbraith's pay packet comes with an extra £3,217 a month in lieu of pension contributions as he has hit his maximum lifetime pension allowance and has opted out a scheme.

The university also forks out £1,338 for health insurance.

Prof Galbraith's overall pay and benefits went from £305,000 to £313,000.