The salaries of the Vice-Chancellor and members of the Senior Management Team[1] are set by the Remuneration Committee of the Governing Body of the University and notified to the them each year. The members of the Committee are independent Governors and an independent external adviser. Salaries are set according to the Terms of Reference of the Remuneration Committee.
The Terms of Reference set out a number of principles under which the Committee operates.
In conducting its role, the Committee shall ensure:
- That decisions reached are fair, proportionate and consistent and give due regard to the University’s equality commitments and responsibilities together with its charitable status.
- That affordability is considered when reaching all decisions.
- That the impact of decisions on individual future pension entitlements and costs is considered at all times.
- That the rationale for all decisions is clear and justifiable.
- That when considering severance payments for senior staff the Committee must represent the public interest and avoid any inappropriate use of public funds.
In the conduct of its business, it is expected that the Committee will draw upon a range of information sources as necessary to support robust, consistent and equitable decision-making. In reviewing salary levels, the university draws on market pay data from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) Senior Salary Survey and uses the Post 92 universities with a similar turnover level as it’s comparator group.
The Vice-Chancellor’s current total annual rate of salary is £275,000 (2025/26). All of the Vice-Chancellor's external activities are performed on a pro bono basis and there is no external income.
SMT Salaries as at 1 August 2025 |
|
| Salary Range | 2025/26 |
| £115,000 to £ 119,999 | 2 |
| £120,000 to £124,999 | 1 |
| £125,000 to £129,99 | 3 |
| £140,000 to £144,999 | 1 |
| £165,000 to £169,999 | 1 |
| Total | 8 |
This and other aspects of the University's finances are published annually in the Financial Statements.
The roles within the remit of the Remuneration Committee are: Vice-Chancellor and Principal; Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost; Senior Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research, Enterprise and Business Development); Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education, Student Growth and Global Engagement; Pro Vice-Chancellor (Medway and Tunbridge Wells); Chief Estates Officer; Chief Digital and Student Experience Officer; Chief People Officer and Director of Finance