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

The Court of the University of St Andrews has informed the University Rector, Ms Stella Maris, that she is to be discharged from the role of President of Court and as a charity trustee.

The Court’s determination was made after the Rector repeatedly declined to accept the conclusion of an independent investigation which found that she had made some St Andrews students “fear for their safety”, and by her actions and activities breached her responsibilities and legal obligations as a Court member and charity trustee.

After extensive efforts over a protracted period to seek a resolution with her proved unsuccessful, Court met this week and concluded unanimously, with one abstention, that it had no option but to discharge her under the Charities Act and its own Code of Governance.

Ms Maris will retain the title and office of Rector of the University until her term expires in October 2026, but will no longer sit on Court, the University’s supreme governing body. The Court’s decision has no bearing on Ms Maris’s freedom of speech, which has been acknowledged by the Court at every stage.

The decision to discharge Ms Maris is the conclusion of a lengthy process which began in November 2023 when Ms Maris, as Rector, issued a message to all 10,000 St Andrews students offering her personal opinions on the conflict in Gaza and Israel.

The Rector then published a series of posts on social media, some of which the subsequent independent investigation found were “discourteous and disrespectful” in the way in which they dismissed fears raised by students who had contacted her seeking reassurance.

The Chair of Court, Mr Ray Perman, has today offered an unreserved apology to students, staff and others who feared for their safety or were upset or angered by the ensuing rise in community tensions in the wake of the Rector’s statement and her subsequent actions and activities.

After concerns were raised by students and others, Court commissioned an independent investigation from Morag Ross KC, to examine whether the Rector’s actions and activities were compatible with the responsibilities and standards placed on her as a member of Court, and the legal requirements of a charity trustee.

Ms Ross’s report of the investigation https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/assets/university/about/documents/governance/court/independent-investigation-29-July-2024.pdf is being published in full by Court. 

It found that:

• The Rector was entitled to free speech, but had exercised “poor judgment” in the manner in which she wrote to all students to give her personal opinions on the conflict, specifically in ignoring the possibility that her words from a position of leadership could encourage antisemitic behaviour by others.
• Reactions to the statement from the student body were divided. Some students, especially some Jewish students, were very distressed and angry, and “feared for their safety”, while other students felt “validated and heard.”
• The Rector’s subsequent actions on social media fell below the standards required of a Court member, “inflamed tensions” in the St Andrews community, and represented a breach of her responsibilities to act with courtesy and respect.

Court received Ms Ross’s report in April and accepted its findings in full.

Since then, Court has pursued extensive dialogue with the Rector to seek a resolution that would allow her to continue to sit as President and a member of Court. It asked her to acknowledge that aspects of her behaviour fell below the standards expected of a Court member, to agree to be bound by the same obligations and commitments as other Court members, and to apologise for the distress and fear experienced by some of the students she represents.

Ms Maris, however, has repeatedly declined to clearly acknowledge and accept Ms Ross’s finding that she breached her responsibilities. She also declined to take up Court’s offer of facilitated discussion with an independent external mediator. 

As a result, although Ms Ross’s report found that Ms Maris’ breaches of responsibility did not merit dismissal in themselves, Court has decided that her repeated refusal to confirm that she accepts the findings of the independent investigation mean she is now in serious and persistent breach of her responsibilities.  

Ray Perman, the Senior Lay Member and Chair of University Court said:

“After extensive attempts at dialogue over three months, we have unfortunately now reached the point where University Court has concluded that she is in serious and persistent breach of her responsibilities and can no longer sit as President.

“Under charity law and the Scottish Code of Good HE Governance, regrettably, Court has no choice but to discharge Stella Maris from two of the administrative roles that are traditionally associated with being Rector of a university.

“Court wishes to stress that this decision has no bearing on Ms Maris’s freedom of speech, to which she is entitled and for which, like everyone else, she is personally accountable. We recognise that parts of the Rector’s statement were an important source of comfort to students affected by the conflict in Gaza.

“We also wish to stress most explicitly that the Rector has never been asked to diminish or change her support of the Palestinian cause, only to acknowledge that in her handling of this matter, she caused distress and fear to some students, whom it was her duty to support and represent.

“As the Chair of University Court, I wish to offer an apology to all students, and others, who were upset or feared for their safety as a consequence of the Rector’s handling of this matter, and those who were subsequently upset by the rise in tensions and disagreements which ensued.”

Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, Principal of the University of St Andrews, said:

“We can disagree passionately on the most difficult issues, but it should always be with courtesy and respect for those whose views may differ from our own.

“In large part, our community in St Andrews has responded to this terrible conflict and the abhorrent loss of innocent civilian life with strong, reasoned argument and commitment, but always consideration for the effects of their actions on others, and our students in particular, deserve significant recognition for that.

“I believe that we can all learn from what has happened over the past few months, and that the values of listening, tolerance and respect will become even more important to our University community.”

The University has provided ongoing personal support to Ms Maris throughout the period of the investigation, recognising that this is a stressful and difficult situation for her, and that support will continue in the immediate future.

For more information contact:  

Malcolm Robertson, [email protected], T: 07788 567680

Frank O’Donnell, [email protected], T: 07984 149751