THE GOOD LIFE OF A VICE-CHANCELLOR & LITTLE TO SHOW FOR IT

A number of university vice-chancellors have recently spent time in the trenches fighting the fires of student unrest. One assumes that fighting such fires was not a contemplated job duty by those presently employed as vice-chancellors in the new South Africa. The unrest will run its course, and vice-chancellors will resume their routine administrative activities. In doing so, the question has arisen whether parity exists between their responsibilities, and the remuneration they receive. One newspaper addressed the issue with the heading: 'Obscene' pay to varsity heads under scrutiny". It was reported that vice-chancellor remuneration ranged between R4.2 million and R2.4 million per year, besides presumably additional perks amounting to several thousands of Rands. Higher Education spokesman, Khaya Nkwanyana, tellingly commented that university vice-chancellors based their remuneration on compensation received by their counterparts in Europe. If so, therein lies the problem. There is a vast academic divide between institutions of higher learning in Europe and South Africa. The divide is the difference between excellence and mediocrity, with South Africa falling into the mediocre category. That being said, it would be foolhardy to assert that a local university vice-chancellor, other than possibly Professor Jansen of Free State University, could be considered for a vice-chancellorship at a top-tier university in Europe, the United States, or Canada. Perhaps our vice-chancellors should be required to justify their pay cheques, which in most instances, exceed the pay cheques of our Head of State and the Chief Justice. It cannot be because the universities they represent enjoy top international ranking. Far from it! Vice-chancellors will likely argue that a significant reason for dismal international ranking is linked to the lack of adequate funding, now further exacerbated by a zero increase in fees in 2016. Vice-chancellors, besides government, must step into the breach to cover the 2016 fee shortfall of R2.9 billion, and some R40 billion if free university education for the poor is implemented. One idea being floated (and gaining traction) is a cap on remuneration for vice-chancellors. Not yet broached is the role of vice-chancellors in securing endowments to facilitate a university's financial health. By doing so, students will decidedly benefit from scholarships or reduced fees. In contrast to universities in Europe and North America, South African universities have little or no endowment at all. This is totally unacceptable, and to remedy the situation vice chancellors must be required (as do their foreign counterparts) to direct fund development initiatives by cultivating friends and donors to the university. An endowment program is essential to the financial wellbeing of a university as it generates more cash for everyone on campus. There is a growing perception that, for too long, vice-chancellors have enjoyed the fruits of academia, but in return, have not performed with sufficient executive skill consistent with their pay cheques. The disconnect must not continue.