Students demand say over university principals' pay Mike Russell, the Education Minister, ordered that the document be drawn up and has promised to make universities more accountable for the public money they receive. Separately, he is piloting legislation that would give him wide discretion over how universities are run and even which courses they teach. However, the code states that universities themselves should be "unambiguously and collectively responsible" for all their major decisions. The chairs of court have previously warned that interfering with their autonomy would harm standards. Robin Parker, the NUS Scotland president, warned that the code represented "more of the same" instead of tackling the salaries of senior managers, many of whom earn more than Alex Salmond. "Time is running out for the Chairs to prove that they can govern universities in Scotland autonomously and responsibly," he said. If there are not significant changes to the draft code, in what is apparently a genuine consultation period, it would be no surprise to see the Scottish Government take matters into its own hands. The NUS submission to the committee said the code ignored many of the recommendations made by Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, the principal of Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University, whom Mr Russell asked to conduct a review of higher education governance. There is only a "vague requirement" for staff and students to be consulted on the appointment and performance of principals, it said, and "no provision" for them to influence salary levels. The chairs have also dismissed a recommendation that they be subject to elections, the submission said. Instead the SFC should make compliance with a tougher code a "condition of grant," the NUS argued. The University and College Union (UCU) said the code makes no "fundamental changes to the status" and criticised the lack of provision for trade unionists to sit on governing bodies. However, the steering group that drew up the document said in its submission: "It is widely accepted that the current system of governance in Scottish universities is good, and the development of a new code is largely to ensure continuous improvement."