University and college lecturers' union UCU Scotland has condemned the lack of involvement of key stakeholders in the new Government taskforce on universities.

It said that the SNP Government has broken its implicit agreement to involve UCU in developing strategy for universities, and complained that the taskforce was not representative of universities as it only involved managers "who know little of the nature of teaching and research" and does not include a student voice.

UCU Scotland President Terry Brotherstone said: "Given our excellent relations with the government in its early months, we are deeply disappointed UCU Scotland has not been consulted about the nature of the review or included in the task force.

"If the new Scottish Government is genuinely interested in a new approach to Scottish higher education what is needed is something closer to a Robbins report rather than this narrow review."

UCU added that this was not a taskforce in the usual sense and that it was unlikely to deliver as it would be seen as yet another bureaucratic imposition from business managers and civil servants. It said that such an exercise requires a much broader remit and involvement of the people who actually deliver teaching and research in universities.

Universities Scotland said that the taskforce was only one specific exercise. "There is a much wider ongoing debate about the strategic future of higher education in Scotland and we of course greatly value the input of staff, students, employers and other key stakeholders who we are very well aware have much to add." 

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