Statement from the Court of the University of St Andrews – Removal of the Rector from University Court

University Court issued the following message to all staff and students on Friday 9 January.

Dear Students and Colleagues, 

I am writing to you as the elected Senior Lay Member and Chair of University Court, St Andrews’ governing body.

I have to inform you that a special meeting of Court this afternoon, 9 January, took the decision to remove the University Rector, Ms Stella Maris, as President and a member of Court.

Ms Maris was removed from Court for repeatedly rejecting her obligations of collective responsibility and refusing to observe Court’s standard operating procedures and its basic rules of governance.

The rules she wished to ignore are not arcane or technical niceties; they are the most basic foundations of good governance. Adherence to governance is an absolute requirement of the University’s ability to receive funding from the Scottish Government. If governance is ignored or flouted, it places the University at financial risk and becomes impossible for us to run the institution democratically and effectively.

Although she will no longer sit on or play any part in the business of University Court, Ms Maris will continue to hold the title and position of Rector.

Since last summer, Ms Maris has claimed that she alone has the authority to chair Court, and should have absolute discretion over all aspects of the management of its meetings.

This is contrary to the Scottish Code of Good Higher Education Governance, and the standard operating procedures of Court, which are agreed by Court and have been observed in St Andrews since 2008 and regularly updated and reconfirmed since. Ms Maris signed a declaration agreeing to abide by these procedures when she was elected Rector in 2023.

We have invited her several times to submit proposals for any changes she would wish to make to Court’s procedures. We also offered her mediation. To date, she has submitted no proposals, and declined our offer of mediation.

Ms Maris has publicly accused Court of acting unlawfully, and complained to the Scottish Funding Council, the regulatory body which funds and oversees governance at all Scottish universities.

The SFC carefully examined her claims to have sole authority to chair Court. In response, it issued detailed written guidance confirming that she is incorrect, and the University is following correct procedures under the law and the Code of Good Governance. It fully endorsed the University’s position.

It also confirmed that where a member of Court cannot by conscience or principle support a decision of Court, that individual should resign.

Court then invited Ms Maris to withdraw her allegations of unlawful activity, and to confirm she would in future observe operating procedures and the principle of collective responsibility.

She declined to do so and has also declined to resign.

This is a matter of considerable and enduring regret for members of our Court, who have for several months repeatedly sought a sensible and collegiate resolution to this matter which would allow the Rector to continue to serve with us on Court.

It is also a matter of regret that considerable time and scarce University resources have been required to address the Rector’s persistent claims about her own constitutional powers, when Court should be focused on addressing the extremely challenging financial circumstances facing St Andrews and all other UK universities at present.

The University continues to be very well served on Court by our student representatives –  the President of Union Affairs and the President of Education. The Rector’s Assessor, who is also currently a student, also remains a member of Court.

I can assure you that the Rector’s removal from Court will in no way diminish the representation of student interests at the highest levels of University governance.

I wish you all the very best for the coming semester.

Ray Perman

Senior Lay Member and Chair

University Court