Chair exits Greater Manchester role amid governance investigation

The University of Greater Manchester’s chair of governors has become the latest senior official to leave the institution amid ongoing concerns over how it has been run. 

William Morris, a former resident judge of Bolton, is departing after serving in the post since 2020. It is understood his term in office had been due to end in February and he will not be seeking another term.

It comes after the university’s vice-chancellor, George Holmes, was suspended last year along with other members of his leadership team.

The university is currently the subject of an investigation by Greater Manchester Police into allegations of fraud and bribery. A police spokesperson confirmed the investigation is still ongoing but declined to give any further updates.

Questions have recently been raised over payments made by the university to the Centre for Islamic Finance, for which Patricia Morris, the wife of William, is listed as a director and chairman.

The centre is described as “an independently recognised academic centre of the university” offering courses in Islamic banking and Islamic insurance. It opened in 2012 when Patricia Morris, a Conservative peer, was chancellor of the university.

Accounts show that the university paid the centre hundreds of thousands of pounds in recent years, with no income reported. Local news outlet the Manchester Mill reported that the revelations had prompted concerns about a potential conflict of interest, and questions over what the money had been used for, given the centre has no listed employees. 

The latest financial statement for 2023-24 attempts to address such criticism. It reads: “Due to the nature of the university’s operations and the compositions of the board, being drawn from local public and private sector organisations, it is inevitable that transactions will take place with organisations in which a member of the board may have an interest.”

It says all transactions involving organisations in which a member of the board may have an interest “are conducted in accordance with the university’s financial regulations and usual procurement procedures”. 

But Phil Brickell, MP for Bolton West, told Times Higher Education that “the latest allegations concerning senior leadership at the university are of huge concern”.

“I urge the university to be transparent with people across Bolton as to what’s happened and what steps it is taking to restore trust in the institution.

“Both the university and the Office for Students [OfS] must serve the interests of students, staff and the entire borough, by acting with haste to assuage my constituents’ fears.”

The OfS launched an investigation into the university in December, looking into whether it had upheld the public interest governance principles outlined in the watchdog’s regulatory framework, and whether it had “adequate and effective management” to comply with the OfS’ conditions of registration.

The principles state that universities must be governed by a “fit and proper person” and “operate openly, honestly, accountably and with integrity and demonstrate the values appropriate to be recognised as an English higher education provider”.

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com