Over £20k was spent on first class flights for Vice-Chancellor Steve Smith last year

Students have often wondered where their £9,000 a year goes, and from a recent report on senior pay and perks at UK universities from UCU, some of it goes towards funding Vice-Chancellor Steve Smith’s frequent trips away from Exeter.

The £400,000-a-year professor was the second highest spender on hotel accommodation last year, with £20,329.76 spent on 69 stays outside of Exeter.

Steve views flying first class as ‘cost effective’

While to the majority of students that may seem excessive, a university spokesman claims: “It is impossible to represent the university and region globally while sitting behind a desk in Exeter.

“All of the vice-chancellor’s overnight accommodation is usually booked well in advance to ensure it is cost-effective.”

As well as splurging on fancy hotels, the Vice-Chancellor is partial to business and first class flights, with 99.6% of the flights he takes being of this kind, at a cost of £23,749.21 – almost three times the amount the average UK university Vice-Chancellor spends.

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They pay him to do things like this

With a salary of almost double most Vice-Chancellors, the university clearly value his work, which includes “supporting ministerial visits overseas and bringing much-needed partnerships and incremental investment into the South West.”

However, students may not be as thrilled with the Vice-Chancellor and his big spender ways.

Mia Jones, English second year, said: “I think it’s disgusting that I’m getting into £27,000 worth of debt so some university fatcat can fly first class and make full use of hotel mini bars.

“Surely if he’s earning £400,000 he can afford to spend the extra amount himself to travel in luxury?”