Cash-strapped university spends GBP200k on one room Move comes after

0 Comments | Sunday Herald, The, Oct 26, 2008 | by Paul Hutcheon

A HIGHER education institution that has laid off staff and pushed through a cuts programme has spent more than GBP200,000 to spruce up its boardroom.

Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) spent the six-figure sum on furniture and high-tech equipment for a room used by its bosses.

A spokesman for the university refused to deny the body had spent GBP1000 per chair as part of the refurbishment, but did say it has "invested in quality chairs".

GCU's financial problems led to it shedding 170 jobs following a voluntary redundancy scheme in 2006. It was then reported earlier this year that the university had asked all its academic departments to make cuts of 10per cent.

The Caledonian Business school was asked to make efficiencies of GBP404,000, while the engineering and computing school was told to trim its budget by GBP31,800. But university bosses, against a backdrop of financial difficulties, have managed to find GBP207,650 to upgrade the boardroom in its Britannia building.

The cash was used for "furniture and fit out", audio-visual equipment and general improvements. It is also believed the university may have spent around GBP1000 for every new chair in the room.

The boardroom is used for court, senate and executive board meetings, although the university insists the facility can also be used for trade union meetings and other functions.

The refurbishment is expected to be finished by the end of the month.

News of the six-figure outlay comes after the university spent thousands of pounds on a 10-day business trip to India and China earlier this month.

The delegation of senior officials, led by principal Pamela Gillies, travelled to Jinan University for the purpose of enticing Chinese students to Scotland.

The GBP30,000 trip was funded by GCU and Chinese authorities.

Dr Nick McKerrell, the convener of Glasgow Caledonian combined union committee, said: "This information is almost surreal. Spending hundreds of thousands on the university board room which was totally fit for purpose beggars belief."

A spokesperson for the university said: "The university is upgrading its boardroom as part of an ongoing campus-wide programme of development and refurbishments.

"This is the first time the university boardroom has been upgraded since 1995, and the upgrade of this building is part of our estates strategy which was approved by court and submitted to the Scottish Funding Council in 2008. "

NEED TO KNOW

THE FACTS

Glasgow Caledonian University has splashed out GBP207,650 on refurbishing its boardroom.

BACKGROUND

GCU has recently had to shed staff and make cuts to departments in order to plug its budget deficit.

NEED TO KNOW MORE?

www. gcal. ac. uk Glasgow Caledonian University website.