Departing for pastures new

Whilst junior staff at the University of Salford's Business School may struggle to contain their devastation, others might well have a glint of pride in their eyes at today's announcement that Professor John Wilson - Head of the Business School - will be departing from the largely impoverished concrete jungle that is Salford in order to take up a new post at, urm, the largely impoverished concrete jungle that is Glasgow.

Yes, Professor Wilson will henceforth be known as Executive Dean and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the School of Business, Law and Social Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University.

As you'd expect, news of his departure prompted a stream of "land of milk and honey" commentary from the University's top brass, with Professor Hall providing this gushing praise:

"This is an excellent promotion for John and I am very pleased for him and wish him every success in his new role."

And then the real cracker:

"Thanks must go to him for his leadership of the Salford Business School and the energy he has shown in building the school's reputation."

Perhaps by "leadership" and "reputation" this is referring to terrible staff morale and a collective sense of ire which probed championship heights, such that even the notoriously disclosure-averse Martin Hall was forced to agree to an independent inquiry - the full results of which are still being collectively policed by the University and the Unions for fear that its less than positive revelations might spill in to the public domain.

Or perhaps he is referring to the eight-month suspension of a member of staff? Or the confiscation of staff PCs in response to claims of damning evidence against management being stored on them? Or the on-going libel claim being brought in the High Court (in which Professor Wilson is one of the named claimants)?

On that note, we wish Professor Wilson the best of luck too...