Deserter Principal Gillespie Paid £150,000 AFTER University Exit
- editorinchief32
- May 13
- 3 min read
Updated: May 15
By Connor Bertie & Emma Thomson
Ex-Principal Gillespie was paid six full months salary after he made his unexpected and unannounced exit from his position in November.

Revealed within a staff email this afternoon, it has confirmed what was already largely suspected by students and staff alike.
The email was sent out by the current Principal, Shane O’Neil, in which he said:
“Professor Iain Gillespie stood down as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee with immediate effect in December. We can now confirm that he was paid his contractual entitlement of six months' salary on exit.”
To put this within perspective, Iain Gillespie’s position earned him at least £300,000 annually, without counting any bonuses he made over his time in office.
This means that within the last six months, December 2024 – May 2025, he was paid at least £150,000 even though he was no longer involved or affiliated in anything to do with Dundee University.
"I'm very disappointed that Iain Gillespie chose to take full advantage of his sudden resignation and acquired £150,000," said incoming DUSA President, Tánaiste Custance.
Back in October 2024, Gillespie announced that the University was 'blooming' despite announcing a £30 million deficit and swiftly leaving his role just weeks later.
"It is particularly sad that a Principal who quite rightly turned down a pay increase in his first year has left our university in even greater ignominy than we realised," Tánaiste continued.

"This £150,000 could have funded replacements to the recruitment freeze, particularly in student services. It could have fully funded the pantry and breakfast.
"For someone who now markets himself as a "leader in education" to have left with such contempt for his colleagues and students is indicative of the deep rot at the heart of our senior leadership.
"I would like to know what efforts the University made to claw back this money."
Do you think he deserved this £150,000 bonus after leaving the university? Let us know on Instagram: @the.jutejournal
An explanation on other senior management pay rates can be found here.
Also announced in the email was the upcoming staffing changes. O'Neill said:
"There has been a significant turnover in senior leadership positions over recent months. It is a priority to improve the resilience of University Executive leadership, and we are taking some important steps to do that now, with further steps to follow in due course."
Professor Nigel Seaton, the former Principal of Abertay University, has been appointed as Interim Provost. This will be on a 0.6 FTE basis for the next three months.
Following Professor Blair Grubb’s upcoming retirement at the end of July 2025, and Professor Lisanne Gibson’s departure for a new Pro Vice-Chancellor role at Northumbria University at the end of June, there will be further changes to the university's portfolio Vice-Principal positions.
The Court approved a proposal for the university to retain four portfolio VP roles on a temporary basis today. This will be merged into three roles during the next academic year by re-integrating two of the roles. The university look to recruit the other three roles in May and June, with internal applications only.
Dr David McBeth will remain in his position as Vice-Principal, Enterprise and Economic Transformation.
With Professor Kim Dale’s appointment as Interim VP International ending at the end of the academic year, the role will become vacant. The university have stated that this will be advertised with the aim of making a permanent appointment.
The role has also been changed slightly and given a new name - Vice-Principal, Global Engagement and Future Students, to reflect the changes in responsibilities.
Due to retirement, Professor Blair Grubb’s role as VP Education will become vacant. This role, now named Vice-Principal, Education and Student Experience, will also be changed slightly and appointed on a permanent basis.
The role that Professor Lisanne Gibson will be leaving, Vice-Principal, Research, will be advertised until December 2025 on an interim basis. This is pending the consideration of merging the role with that of VP, Enterprise and Economic Transformation.
More on the changes can be read here.
Campus unions have been approached for comment.
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