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Vice-Chancellor – Bath Spa University

Sue Rigby commenced her role as Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University in January 2018.

Bringing with her a wealth of experience from her former roles as Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Lincoln and Vice-Principal at the University of Edinburgh, Professor Sue Rigby has worked as an academic at Cambridge, Leicester and Edinburgh universities before moving into Higher Education management.

"Bath Spa is a wonderful university and one that we should all be extraordinarily proud of. We have built on our rich, long legacy to become a university for the 21st century. Our strengths lie in that legacy which guides our values today, our estates and facilities, and our highly accomplished students and staff."

Sue Rigby

Professor Rigby is a palaeontologist by background. She has set up a variety of large-scale and multi-university projects, including the Times Higher Education prize-winning "Making the Most of Masters". She is an honorary professor at the University of Edinburgh and works in their Institute of Academic Development.

"Each degree accomplished comes with a narrative of hard work, late nights, panicked visits to the library, coffee and stress-busting cakes with friends, and a growing sense of confidence and capability.

Our identity is defined by the quality our teaching and the research and scholarship that informs our work. I am privileged to lead a group of outstanding academics and professionals who have students, always, at the heart of what they do."

Sue Rigby addressing students and guests at winter graduation 2018

Remuneration

The Vice-Chancellor’s remuneration is reported annually in the University Financial Statement. It consists of salary, pension contributions and other benefits. The current Vice-Chancellor is Professor Sue Rigby and her salary is currently £234,355 per annum. In addition she has elected to receive payment in lieu of pension contributions, currently £55,495 per annum. When she was recruited for the role, Professor Rigby's contract allowed for a performance related bonus of up to £19,200, however she subsequently requested that this element be removed from her contract.

The Vice-Chancellor’s total remuneration is reviewed annually by the University’s Remuneration Committee, which is chaired by an Independent Governor.

In determining the Vice-Chancellor’s remuneration, the committee considers a number of factors including the performance of the University in meeting key performance indicators, the individual contribution of the Vice-Chancellor to achieving the University’s strategic objectives, the need for the University to be competitive in the higher education market, affordability and reputation. The committee is also mindful of the need to respond to concerns about excessive salaries in the sector and therefore considers the ratio of highest to lowest paid and ratio of highest to median full time earnings.

For further information on the considerations of the remuneration committee, please see their report to the Board.

Contact the Vice-Chancellor

Email: vice-chancellor@bathspa.ac.uk
Tweet @BathSpaVC

Head of Chancelry Administration and Executive Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor: Allison Dagger
Telephone: +44 (0)1225 875510
Email: a.dagger@bathspa.ac.uk

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