VANCOUVER -- Former UBC president Arvind Gupta will be paid his president's salary for a full year according to the terms of his contract after he unexpectedly resigned last week.

His annual salary is $446,500, the contract says.

Gupta resigned suddenly on Friday, just one year into a planned five-year term. Neither the university nor Gupta has explained why he quit, but the head of the school's faculty association is calling for answers.

In an open letter to faculty, Mark MacLean demands the UBC board of governors explain why Arvind Gupta suddenly quit, saying the resignation amounts to a "leadership crisis."

"I am skeptical that the reason for it is simply that professor Gupta wishes to return to the life of a professor of computer science," MacLean writes. "I believe Professor Gupta's resignation represents a serious loss to UBC. It certainly represents a failure point in the governance of the University. We need to understand this failure and the board must recognize that we cannot move on until we do."

Gupta did not comment and was not quoted in UBC's news release, but he did send out a statement late Friday night thanking his supporters. He cited a fundraising campaign that raised more than $200 million and a $66-million federal research grant.

"I believe that the university is on strong footing going forward both financially and intellectually, and that we will continue our ascent as one of the premier institutions in the world," Gupta writes in the email. "I am honoured to have served this great university and I will continue to be an advocate for Canada both domestically and internationally aiming to enhance our social, cultural and economic well-being."

Gupta became president of the university last July after an international search by a 22-member committee of faculty, staff, students, alumni and others that began in September 2013.

Gupta was known for making partnerships with the private sector in his work as CEO of Mitacs, a UBC-based national not-for-profit organization that brings industry and business together with academia.

Under his leadership of the university, three vice-presidents left their positions, including the provost and academic vice-president David Farrar, the vice-president of finance Pierre Ouillet and the vice-president of communications and community partnership Pascal Spothelfer.

UBC's managing director of public affairs Susan Danard would not say if any of the other vice-presidents received severance pay, but she noted that David Farrar — the former provost and academic vice-president — is still a senior member of the university's management team. Danard said any "departure costs (for Gupta and the outgoing vice-presidents) will come from within the existing administrative budget and we will ensure there is absolutely no impact on students or faculty."

The changes at UBC come as provincial funding to universities is decreasing and tuition fee increases for Canadian students are capped at two per cent. The university hiked international student fees 10 per cent to balance its $2.15-billion budget. UBC has more than 58,000 students and 15,000 faculty and staff.

Over the past decade in Canada, 18 university presidents either left or were pushed out of the position before their first terms had expired.

This trend of truncated terms is becoming increasing common, said Julie Cafley, vice-president at Canada's Public Policy Forum.

Cafley's recent PhD dissertation focused on Canadian university presidents with unfinished mandates.

The phenomenon isn't restricted to Canada, she added, pointing to the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom as other jurisdictions experiencing similar events.

The impact on a university of such a departure is "absolutely huge," she said, referencing both the considerable time and money invested in a new leader.

"There's no question it takes a toll on a university," said Cafley. ``Obviously this is going to be difficult for UBC, but I think that with the leadership they have in place they'll be able to advance beyond this as well."

Sun Education Reporter

tsherlock@vancouversun.com

With a file from The Canadian Press.