STUDENT Union chiefs in York have welcomed the “reasonable” salaries paid to the vice-chancellors of the city’s two universities.

The comments come after a nationally-published league table of pay showed University of York chief Brian Cantor in 71st position out of 156, with a salary of £194,000.

His counterpart at York St John University, Dianne Willcocks, earned £160,000 for the 2007/08 financial year – up 16.9 per cent on the previous year and putting her at 119 in the table.

A spokesman for York St John revealed the vice-chancellor had decided not to take a pay rise this year.

She said: “Overall, vice-chancellors’ salaries account for a very small percentage of total income and represents less than 0.2 per cent of the total salary base for the higher education sector.

“The increase in pay at that time is not comparable to pay increases within the current economic environment and pay in 2009/10.

“This year, the vice-chancellor has decided not to take an increase in salary.”

Peter Gorbert, president of York St John University Student’s Union, said with the prospect of rising tuition fees for students, it was decision which should be commended.

“Given the fact that universities aren’t getting the funding they hoped for this year, it would be wrong for vice-chancellors anywhere in the UK to take a pay rise.”

A spokesman for Mr Cantor would not comment on a pay freeze, but explained how the vice-chancellor’s salary was fixed by the University of York’s remuneration committee, which would not be meeting for another six months.

He said: “The committee bases its decisions on an assessment of individual performance and on data from comparable universities.

“The vice-chancellors of the top 22 research intensive universities, of which York is a member, have a median total remuneration of £214,000 per annum.”

Student Union president Tom Scott said: “In comparison to other universies, this salary doesn’t seem extortionate. It actually seems quite reasonable.

“However, I think everyone here hopes that when our vice-chancellor eventually comes off the fence on the big debate about tuition fees, he remembers the salary most students end up with will, unfortunately, not be as large as his.”

The league table, published yesterday in the Times Higher Education Magazine, reveals the highest earner to be the vice-chancellor of Nottingham University who earned £585,000 in 2007/2008.

The lowest was the head of Liverpool Institute For The Performing Arts with £102,457.

The fees paid to university bosses seem like small change compared with the salaries enjoyed by chief executives in the in private sector.

BP boss Tony Hayward received a salary of £998,000 with a £1.5 million bonus last year, while new Unilever boss, Paul Polman took £1.6 million in his first three months in the job.