UNIVERSITY'S BOSSES QUIT AFTER DAMNING REPORT SLATES FINANCES

Chiefs ran up debts that were 'self-inflicted”, leading to £22m bailout

- By David Walker

THE disgraced bosses at the University of Dundee are panned in a "devastating" report into a crisis which has brought it to near-bankruptcy.

They were accused of covering up the financial position and told that the debts were entirely "self-inflicted".

Pamela Gillies' independent publication was so damning it sparked the resignation of the last remaining member of the "triumvirate" of bosses blamed for the problems at the once-proud university.

It had to be bailed out by the Scottish Government after running up debts of £35million that led to redundancies and fears it could collapse if it wasn’t saved by taxpayer cash.

A huge drop in the amount of foreign fee-paying students was highlighted as a major reason behind the cashflow slump.

Shane O’Neill, who was acting principal, quit with immediate effect when the report was published, as did two senior members of the institution’s governing body. He was part of the trio who fostered a culture of secrecy within the university, alongside former principal Professor Iain Gillespie and the chief operating officer Jim McGeorge.

The three “did not cultivate a culture of openness and challenge at all levels”. Prof Gillespie was said to have had an “overbearing leadership style” and a dislike of potentially awkward confrontations or questioning. He also frequently demonstrated hubris in his role and showed contempt towards those who criticised him, as well as an obsession with his personal image and status.