THE PRINCIPAL of Warwickshire College is quitting just weeks after the college was accused of the ‘lavish spending of taxpayers money’.
Mariane Cavalli, who was also chief executive at the college, recently received a £50,000 pay rise and soon after announced she was taking a temporary leave of absence for undisclosed reasons.
The college, which has around 16,000 students, came under scrutiny from The University and College Union (UCU) after they discovered the hefty pay rise and found more than £500,000 had been given to the Gazelle Colleges Group – a group which Ms Cavalli co-founded in 2011.
It has not been confirmed whether the college will remain a member of the Gazelle group after its membership – costing £35,000 annually – expires at the end of this year.
A £3million shortfall in funding was recently announced by the college, leaving nearly 100 jobs at risk at college sites in Rugby, Leamington, Warwick, Henley, Moreton Morrell and Pershore.
Ms Cavalli will officially leave at the end of August although no reasons for her departure have been given.
The college’s former chair of governors Sue Georgious has been appointed as interim principal until a replacement is found later this year.
