{"id":7837,"date":"2026-07-09T14:30:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T13:30:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/?p=7837"},"modified":"2026-07-09T17:58:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T16:58:16","slug":"exclusive-new-university-executive-dean-position-will-earn-between-112000-and-140000-a-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/news\/2026\/07\/09\/exclusive-new-university-executive-dean-position-will-earn-between-112000-and-140000-a-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive: Four new university \u201cexecutive dean\u201d positions will earn up to \u00a3140,000 a year"},"content":{"rendered":"

The University of Aberdeen have announced new \u201cexecutive dean\u201d positions which will earn between \u00a3112,000 and \u00a3140,000 a year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The new position was introduced as part of the university’s structural transformation in a bid to save \u00a310 million.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This will see the current 12 schools transformed into four faculties, with the four executive deans being in charge of each faculty. The University Court approved these plans in April.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Unions and College Union (UCU) have claimed that the university adding a \u201cfourth level of hierarchical oversight will only make the institution even more sluggish and resistant to change.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the new \u201cExecutive Deans\u201d?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Being in charge of the new faculties, the deans will be responsible for leading the \u201cdevelopment and delivery of the faculties\u2019 strategic and operational plans\u201d as well as conducting interdisciplinary collaboration.<\/span><\/p>\n

They will also occupy a position on the executive board, which contributes to the direction and strategy of the university.<\/span><\/p>\n

In an interview with <\/span>The Gaudie<\/span><\/i>, Principal Pete Edwards said that the new position will \u201cstreamline the decision making.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He added that the new four faculty model will mean that decisions and responsibilities will be \u201cdelegated downwards.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

University Senate, the democratic body in charge of academia at the institution, voted to oppose the restructuring. They have claimed that the decision making over these proposals should be the responsibility of the senate with the UCU saying:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe decision to bolt-on four new faculties on top of Departments and Schools was overwhelmingly rejected by the University\u2019s Senate \u2013 the institution empowered by the Universities Scotland Act 1966 to supervise academic matters.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Staff have hit out at the proposals, saying that they are “financially fragile\u201d with a gap between central administration and head of schools.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The university justified their wage packet by saying that \u201c<\/span>they are positions of senior responsibility, bringing with them an opportunity to support greater collaboration, more effective use of resources,<\/span> and a more consistent approach to decision-making and service delivery across the institution.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At present, the four school faculties are planned as such:<\/span><\/p>\n