The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Debra Humphris, leads a large and complex organisation with over 2,000 staff and 21,000 students across five campuses that generates £700 million for the regional economy.
Her current annual salary of £237,585 is well below the sector average and the levels reported in some misleading media statements.
Professor Humphris’ remuneration package does not include a range of benefits available to senior staff at other universities (eg free accommodation) and she does not take the pension contribution and personal car allowance to which she is entitled.
She takes the same salary increase awarded to all staff at the university and waived her contractual right to a performance bonus, instead using these funds to support staff and student-related activities across the university:
- £7,000 One Street in Brighton Project
- £3,000 Graduate Fashion Show
- £2,400 Wonkhe institutional daily briefings
- £2,000 Formula Student
- £2,000 Summer undergraduate research studentships
- £1,200 College Art Association Annual Conference
- £1,000 Annual Brighton Trans and Non-Binary Conference
- £1,000 Officer Training Cadet (OTC) schemes for the Army and Royal Navy Leadership celebration
- £400 The Edward Baden Fine Art: Painting Breakthrough Award
The university’s Remuneration Committee, made up of members of its Board of Governors, sets the Vice-Chancellor’s salary in line with the ACEVO Good Pay Guide, ensuring that remuneration levels are linked to a regular and objective system of performance appraisal and benchmarked against comparable roles.
The university also fully complies with HEFCE disclosure requirements on senior pay.