THE concerns of the President of the SRC of the University of Glasgow, Liam King (“Student president savages ‘botched’ new bill”, The Herald, February 3) about the Scottish Government's Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Bill are well founded.

The business committee of the University of Glasgow General Council has already expressed its reservations about the bill to the Education Secretary and to the leaders of the political parties in Holyrood. It is not clear what deficiency in current governance this poorly drafted bill is intended to address, and it introduces the potential for external interference without full democratic accountability.

The provision for an elected chair of court referred to by Mr King, rather than enhancing good governance, risks weakening it. In the absence of the rector, who is defined by the Universities (Scotland) Acts as being "the ordinary chair of court", and is directly elected by the student body, a chair is normally appointed by court itself from amongst its members, thereby enjoying the their support.

The proposed measure introduces the possibility of a chair being appointed who does not have this support, and in such circumstances, a chair and principal acting in concert could readily sideline court and severely weaken the independent governance of the university. The additional provision that ministers may determine the method of election of the chair by regulation, which has not been removed, does nothing to enhance good governance.

Whilst the removal of the provisions for ministers to exercise by regulation direct influence in the composition of senate and of the governing body, the university court, has been suggested by the minister, the bill fails to recognise that the legal status of the ancient Scottish Universities differs from that of other institutions, and that the composition of court is deliberately specified to ensure a clear majority of members who are independent of the university or, indeed, of any other body.

To say, as a Scottish Government spokeswoman has been quoted, that it wishes to enable every voice on campus to be heard and to contribute to governance is to misunderstand the role of a governance body and the need for it to be independent of the organisation over which it exercises governance.

This bill risks diminishing the reputation of the ancient Scottish universities, which contributes so strongly to their internationally-recognised standing, their research funding and the quality of their teaching.

John Marsh,

Convenor, Business Committee,

University of Glasgow General Council, University Way, Glasgow.