The vice-chancellor of the University of East London has gone on ¡°indefinite leave¡±, Times Higher Education has learnt.

The university¡¯s chair of governors announced that Martin Everett was on indefinite leave in a single-sentence statement to the governors.

The statement was made after a meeting late on 8 July from which some staff representatives on the governing body were excluded. No questions were allowed after the announcement, it is understood.

Professor Everett, a mathematician, has been in post since April 2007. He was previously pro vice-chancellor at the University of Westminster, where he was also director of the university¡¯s research strategy. He has advised organisations including Unilever, QinetiQ, the ÍøÆØÃÅ Office, the Ministry of Defence and Unesco.

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The university said: ¡°We can confirm that Martin will be on indefinite leave from this week. This was announced yesterday evening at the Board of Governors¡¯ meeting, at which staff and student governors were present. Professor Susan Price is acting vice-chancellor and the business of our university is proceeding as normal. A formal communication is being made to staff and unions today.¡±

UPDATE 9 July:

On 9 July, still no statement had been released to staff.

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On 10 July, Chris Knight and Phil Marfleet, chairman and secretary of the University and College Union at UEL¡¯s Docklands campus, sent a memo to members noting that Professor Everett¡¯s departure on indefinite leave was ¡°a very serious development¡±.

They said: ¡°UCU officers have since attempted to discover what circumstances prompted the decision: acting v-c Susan Price says that management ¡®has no authority to elaborate on the Governors¡¯ statement¡¯. UCU officers believe that staff must be informed fully about the situation. We have a right to know why the senior executive is absent from his post ¨C and what the implications may be for the institution and for ongoing discussions with the vice-chancellor about staff contracts and conditions. It is not acceptable for UEL staff to learn of events from the media and through rumour.¡±

UPDATE 11 July:

Times Higher Education understands that negotiations are currently taking place involving legal advisers for both parties.

An e-mail sent on 11 July by Brian Davies, an IT network operations manager at the university, to Tony Wright, director of IT services, and copied to all network administrators, said: ¡°I¡¯ve disabled Martin Everett¡¯s network account and added his account to the Graveyard group.¡±

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