THE VICE CHANCELLOR – PROFESSOR MICHAEL HARLOE

Tomorrow, Friday 16th July, Professor Michael Harloe, who retired as Vice Chancellor of the University of Salford last year, will receive an honorary degree, together with Baroness Brenda Hale, Britain's most senior woman judge, and David McGovern, fighter for lesbian and gay rights.

Professor Harloe was Vice Chancellor at the University for 12 years and in his last year admitted to Student Direct newspaper that "We haven't done very well" as Salford moved down the University League Tables.

Michael Harloe himself has done very well out of Salford University, picking up payments well over £1million during his last five years in office, including
whopping payments of £307,000 during the year 2008-9. This was made up of a salary of £274,000, `benefits in kind' of £3,000 and `compensation for loss of office' of £30,000.

THE VICE CHANCELLOR'S UNIVERSITY HOUSE

The `benefits in kind' of £3000, we surmise, relate to the house in Altrincham supplied to the Vice Chancellor by the University. However, in the previous year, 2007-8, Prof Harloe's `benefits in kind' are down in the University's accounts at only £1000, despite this house costing the University £2,925.54, according to figures for 2007-8 obtained by Salford Star under the Freedom of Information Act.

THE VICE CHANCELLOR'S LOSS OF OFFICE AND PENSION PAYMENTS

The University's Financial Statements for the year until July 2009 state that the sum of £30,000 was "compensation for loss of office which was substantially below his contractual entitlements". Together with this one off payment Prof Harloe also has a handsome pension and final years salary enhancements on which to retire.

The Vice Chancellor's payments from the University jumped from £193,000 in 2004-5 (£169,000 salary plus £24,000 pension contribution) to £241,000 in 2005-6 (£190,000 salary plus £51,000 pension contribution), to £218,000 in 2006-7 (all salary, no pension) to £240,000 in 2007-8 (all salary, no pension), to £307,000 in 2008-9 (£277,000 salary and £30,000 compensation).

These huge rises in payments and salary are due to Prof Harloe leaving the University's superannuation scheme in March 2006. This was possibly because his pension pot would have been over the `Life Time Allowance' of £1.5million or £75,000 of annual pension. Instead, pension payments of 7% were put directly onto his salary, and the University's 7% saving from the arrangement bought Prof Harloe a one off contribution of £34,309 worth of `added years' to his pension in 2005-6. According to the latest Financial Statements for the year 2008-9, the University of Salford's pension deficit has risen by £21.2million to £48.2million.

SALFORD UNIVERSITY FAT CATS

During his time at the University of Salford, Professor Harloe had first call on a chauffeur driven car, and the latest Financial Statements show senior staff at the University earning over £100,000 a year massively increasing from five in the year 2007-8, to 13 in 2008-9.

Meanwhile, Salford has dropped down the University League Tables and cuts have seen up to 150 jobs axed as part of a £12.5million cost cutting exercise to "re-orientate the University's budget" towards, amongst other things, the University's hugely expensive new base at MediaCityUK.

Despite retiring, Professor Harloe still sits on the board of the Government's Salford and Manchester Pathfinder project, responsible for the demolitions that have blighted Central Salford in recent years and led to the destruction of working class communities.

Professor Michael Harloe won't be starving during his retirement. Over the last five years of office he picked up over £1million from the University of Salford.

See Part One of this story here…

Graphic shows front page of Student Direct featuring Prof Harloe