Your leader sentiment ("It's a smart move to support your vice-chancellor", THES , April 12) depressingly missed the point. It is not "my vice-chancellor right or wrong" but: is my vice-chancellor up to the job and will the governing body do something if not?
University autonomy is important but more so is scrutiny of management policies, whether governors base their decisions on facts and which governors get to see evidence. We need an overhaul of new universities' articles of government and governing bodies, and an end to staff governor exclusion from virtually all strategic sub-committees.
Alan White
Staff governor
University of East London