‘Surprise and concern’ at ex-Alliance MP’s new role

A university trade union has said it is "surprised and concerned" that a former Alliance Party MP was given a professorship outside of normal recruitment processes.

Stephen Farry and Jodie Carson, a former Stormont special adviser, have been appointed by Ulster University (UU) to lead a new "strategic policy unit".

The University and College Union (UCU) has raised questions, saying that recruitment processes should "uphold equality, transparency and accountability".

UU said there was a "compelling justification" in this case as to why a publicly advertised recruitment was "not appropriate".

It said the pair's "combined academic and public policy expertise" create a "significant strategic benefit for the university".

Dr Farry announced last month his resignation as Alliance deputy leader.

It followed him losing his seat as MP for North Down in July's general election.

On Tuesday, UU announced he and Dr Carson, who until recently was a special adviser to Alliance minister Andrew Muir, would co-lead a new strategic policy unit.

It said they had been appointed as professors of strategic policy and co-directors of the new unit, which will offer "influential strategic policy analysis in a public-facing space".

The university declined to disclose their salaries or pay bands.

The median salary for a professor is about £80,000, according to an analysis of figures from the UK's Higher Education Statistics Agency.

In a statement UU said the pair were appointed through its "exceptional talent pool" process, which has been used in fewer than 10 appointments in the past decade.

UCU's Ulster University branch said it was "surprised and concerned" over the jobs being assigned without public advertisement.

Dr Linda Moore, president of the UCU Ulster branch, said: "While we look forward to meeting with Dr Farry and Dr Carson to hear about their roles, it is crucial that university processes uphold equality, transparency and accountability.

"We will be asking questions of the university about the costs associated with the appointments, and the reason for the apparent deviation from normal recruitment processes."

Democratic Unionist Party assembly member Peter Martin said there were “valid questions” over the selection process.

He said he had made enquiries with Stormont’s economy minister, who has responsibility for further and higher education, and the Equality Commission.

“The university is a publicly funded body and they should be transparent about the process used in this appointment,” he added.

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister said the pair have been "parachuted into plum jobs" in a process which "defies every component of conventional recruitment".

"Due process has been shamelessly jettisoned," the North Antrim MP added.

The Equality Commission said it recommends that "as a matter of good practice, employers should advertise all their job vacancies widely".

A spokeswoman said "failing to advertise job vacancies is not necessarily unlawful but this approach may indicate that the selection process is not promoting equality of opportunity".

In a statement, an Ulster University spokeswoman said there was a "compelling justification as to why conventional recruitment is not appropriate".

She said: "Following an initial review of a proposal for how Dr Farry and Dr Carson might contribute to a new strategic policy unit, and after follow-on exploratory conversations and a robust assessment relative to strategic need, they were appointed through the established university's Exceptional Talent Pool.

"The Exceptional Talent Pool is a university recruitment mechanism that is employed in a very small number of cases, where the potential exists to recruit particular specialists, where there is compelling justification as to why conventional recruitment is not appropriate and where there is a clear and significant strategic benefit for the university - in this case for their combined academic and public policy expertise.

"This established Exceptional Talent Pool process runs very occasionally, and in parallel with, competitive recruitment in line with relevant legislation and codes of practice - the vast majority of vacancies will be filled in this way."

Dr Farry and Dr Carson were also approached for comment.