Issue 2

The Silence of the Lambs

£1m loan to self, £47,000 bonus, £100,000 away days for staff, summary dismissal of employees, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Bolton unanswered questions about the vice-chancellor's qualifications, a blanket refusal to Freedom of Information requests  on funding issues, yet the Board of Governors apparently see nothing wrong. 

 

The Board of Governors alone are responsible for the way the University of Bolton conducts business. Not the government minister, not the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), not the Charity Commission.  So who are these custodians of U0B propriety, and why are they silent?

 
Ex-Bishop of Manchester Nigel McCulloch, Chair of Governors.  An acquaintance of vice-chancellor George Holmes in Yorkshire, McCulloch was Bishop of Manchester when child abuse allegations were made against the then Dean of Manchester, Robert Waddington. According to Christian Today, "The former Bishop of Manchester, Nigel McCulloch, told the inquiry that he regretted not querying the "appropriateness" of his Archbishop's decision not to involve the police after one of the victims made a complaint..... He also believed Lord Hope's statement that Waddington was by then a very ill man. "He therefore trusted the judgement of Lord Hope, whom he respected, trusted and to whom he had made an oath of obedience." The Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu said it was a matter of "shame" and "deep repentance" that the abuse had occurred. (http://www.christiantoday.com/article/abusive.priest.avoided.prosecution.because.of.churchs.failure.to.act/42031.htm)



William Morris, Vice-Chair of Governors
Retired  Resident Judge of the Crown Court in Bolton,  appointed Honorary Recorder of Bolton by the town's local authority. In 2008 the University of Bolton awarded him an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Laws) (LLD) for his outstanding contribution to law.

Prof. Arup Banerjee, Independent member
A specialist in geriatric medicine, he has served as a magistrate in the Bolton bench and was appointed an OBE in 1966. The University of Bolton has conferred on him a Fellowship and an Honorary Chair.







Dr Anthony Keating, Independent member
 A former student, the University claims anthony as its most successful alumni.He shares a passion for racing cars with the vice-chancellor. With the University of Bolton's help, hopes to build and make the Keating Bolt the world’s fastest production car. Received an honorary Doctorate in Engineering from University of Bolton






Mark Sheen, Independent Member

A qualified chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser. Sits on the Board of UNIAC, the internal audit providers to the University.

Roger Gould, Independent member

 Educated at Bolton school, he is a chartered accountant who retired in 1999 after 27 years with SSL International plc (formerly Seton Healthcare Group plc). He has also been a non-executive director of quoted healthcare company Shiloh PLC (1998-2004) and housebuilder and property developer Emerson Development (Holdings) Limited. A Governor of Manchester Metropolitan University from 1995 to 2006, where he chaired the Audit Committee, and was Chairman of UNIAC for several of those years. He is a Methodist local preacher and a member of the Inter-Faith Forum in Oldham.

Christian Wewers,  Independent member

Born in Denmark, educated at Epsom College and Manchester University School of Architecture,
he was the co-founder of AEW Architects and Designers Ltd, based in Manchester for whom he is currently a consultant. In 2004 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester and was High Sheriff of Greater Manchester for the year 2009/2010.

In 2008 he received an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Laws) (LLD) for his outstanding contribution to law. - See more at: http://www.bolton.ac.uk/Governance/Governor-Profiles/HH-William-Morris.aspx#sthash.Pq9BkA5H.dpuf

In 2008 he received an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Laws) (LLD) for his outstanding contribution to law. - See more at: http://www.bolton.ac.uk/Governance/Governor-Profiles/HH-William-Morris.aspx#sthash.Pq9BkA5H.dpuf

In 2008 he received an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Laws) (LLD) for his outstanding contribution to law. - See more at: http://www.bolton.ac.uk/Governance/Governor-Profiles/HH-William-Morris.aspx#sthash.Pq9BkA5H.dpuf

In 2008 he received an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Laws) (LLD) for his outstanding contribution to law. - See more at: http://www.bolton.ac.uk/Governance/Governor-Profiles/HH-William-Morris.aspx#sthash.Pq9BkA5H.dpuf

Roger is a Methodist local preacher and has held a number of offices in the Methodist Church.  He is a trustee of two pension schemes and several charities, for some of which he is also treasurer, and a member of the Inter-Faith Forum in Oldham - See more at: http://www.bolton.ac.uk/Governance/Governor-Profiles/Mr-Rodger-Gould.aspx#sthash.rBLKYf7i.dpuf

George Holmes, vice-chancellor and chief executive. 

Prior to joining the University, Dr Holmes was Principal of Doncaster College where he also established the Doncaster Education City Project, of which he became Chief Executive. In this post he secured the largest capital grant in the history of the FE sector at the time and had responsibility for building a new £75m College on the Waterfront. According to Private Eye (http://www.private-eye.co.uk/pictures/paul_foot/2007_PF_Shortlist.pdf) Deborah Wain, reporting for the Doncaster Free Press and nominated for the Paul Foot Award for Campaign Journalism, revealed that "not only had the scheme become a costly fiasco but also that corrupt inner circles have creamed off cash to serve their own ends. Head teachers refused to sign up to the plans throwing the scheme into disarray. Many decisions moreover were taken in cosy, clandestine meetings between Dr George Holmes, the college principal and chief executive of Doncaster Education City, and Martin Winter, the elected Mayor." In 2015, he was appointed by Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of the County of Greater Manchester as one of his Deputy Lieutenants.

Arthur Kaddu, Student Union President
Following the university's move up the Guardian league table this year Arthur was quoted on the University's website offering congratulations to the Vice Chancellor for all his hard work. There was no mention of the efforts of teaching staff. The Student Union receives its funding from the University.






Anna Kirkpatrick, Senate member
Academic Group Leader for Engineering, Sports & Science and lectures on the Advanced Clinical Skills, Differential Diagnosis and Clinical Experience Modules.









Roger Lewis, Statutory co-opted member  
Retired from his position as Regional Consultant with the Higher Education Council for England (HEFCE) in 2009. From June 2010 until December 2013 he was Chief Executive Officer for Yorkshire Universities (YU), before retiring for the second time.  He continues to work for YU in the capacity of Associate.

Deanna Morris, Staff co-opted member
Communications and Publications Manager at the University of Bolton, heading up the team that manages internal and external communications for the University. 


 







Rachel Hannan, Independent member 
Works for the Judicial Appointments Commission chairing appointments panels for a range of judicial appointments, as well as acting as an Independent Panel Member for the Ministry of Justice.

Stephen Conn, Independent Member 
Chartered accountant. Qualified as an Insolvency Practitioner in 1988 and was made a Fellow of the Insolvency Practitioners Association. A Fellow of the Association of Business Recovery Professionals (R3). In 1989 he set up his own Company in 1989 specialising in Corporate Rescue and Recovery, which in 2002 merged with the Begbies Traynor Group.  Currently works at CG & Co based in Manchester. 

 



Gill Waugh, Senate Member 

Academic Group Leader for Education and Psychology.

 

Jennifer Leeming, Independent member  
Solicitor. Specialised in Criminal Law first as a Litigation Partner in private practice and subsequently with the Crown Prosecution Service.

 Jennifer Leeming is a Solicitor who specialised in Criminal Law first as a Litigation Partner in private practice and subsequently with the Crown Prosecution Service. - See more at: http://www.bolton.ac.uk/Governance/Governor-Profiles/Mrs-M-Jennifer-Leeming.aspx#sthash.8wvn0kPv.dpufSolicitor who specialised in Criminal Law first as a Litigation Partner in private practice and subsequently with the Crown Prosecution Service.

 
Terry Speake, Co-opted Staff Member
Currently a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Arts and Media Technologies at the University of Bolton.





 




Mohammed Rashed Khan, Student Member

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extracts from the pro-forma response to letters addressed to Chair of Governors Nigel McCullough and to Freedom of Information requests.

 

The University acknowledges receipt of your recent correspondence and, in particular, your correspondence sent by post addressed to the Chair of the Governing Body. 

Please find enclosed the University's formal response as prepared by its lawyers Shoosmiths LLP. 
Yours sincerely, 

The University of Bolton
 

The University of Bolton — Final Statement 

........... The University has experienced not only physical protests at campus and attempted interventions by UCU and Unison representatives, but also a serious escalation in the form of direct repeated and repetitive communications from some quarters both to and about individual members of the University's senior management team and Board of Governors. There have been serious unfounded defamatory allegations against the Vice Chancellor and other individuals; allegations which wrongly impugn their integrity and honesty. There have been anonymous allegations, and allegations which have taken on a sinister and threatening tone, amounting to actionable harassment and defamation. And there have been repeated demands for information of a personal nature about named individuals, which cannot have any bearing on the matters in hand, under the guise of Freedom of Information Act requests. ...........

............ The issues have been finally determined and there is nothing further that can usefully be said on the subject. The University therefore now regards these matters as closed. It will not be responding to individual enquiries related directly or indirectly to these matters (albeit it will continue to respond to legitimate Press enquiries in line with its usual practice). Likewise, individual members of the senior management team and Board of Governors will not respond to communications sent to them personally. This decision has been taken with the benefit of independent legal advice and all of the senior management team and Board of Governors are at one on this matter. 

                29 May 2015