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Chancellor (education)



 
 
A Chancellor is the head of a university
University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education....
. Other titles are sometimes used, such as President
President

President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, company, trade unions, university, and country. Etymology, a "president" is one who Wiktionary:Preside, who sits in leadership ....
 or Rector
Rector

The word rector has a number of different meanings, but all of them indicate an academic, religious or political administrator.The word "rector" also appears in many modern languages, such as Albanian, Dutch language, Spanish language, Catalan language and Romanian language....
.

In most Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as the Commonwealth or the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organization of fifty-three independent member states....
 (or former Commonwealth) nations, the Chancellor is usually a titular (figurehead) non-resident head, often with a Pro-Chancellor
Pro-Chancellor

A Pro-Chancellor is an officer of some university in Commonwealth of Nations countries. The Pro-Chancellor acts as a deputy to the chancellor and as practical chairman of the University Council....
 as practical Chairman of the governing body ("The Council
University Council

A University Council may be the executive body of a university's governance system, an advisory body to the University President, or something in between in authority....
"); the actual chief executive of a university is the Vice-Chancellor
Vice-Chancellor

A Vice-Chancellor of a university in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, India other Commonwealth of Nations countries, and some universities in Hong Kong, is the chief executive of the University....
.

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Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, the Chancellor is Chairman of the University's governing body; thus, as well as having ceremonial duties, the Chancellor participates in the governance of the University (but not its active management).






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A Chancellor is the head of a university
University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education....
. Other titles are sometimes used, such as President
President

President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, company, trade unions, university, and country. Etymology, a "president" is one who Wiktionary:Preside, who sits in leadership ....
 or Rector
Rector

The word rector has a number of different meanings, but all of them indicate an academic, religious or political administrator.The word "rector" also appears in many modern languages, such as Albanian, Dutch language, Spanish language, Catalan language and Romanian language....
.

In most Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as the Commonwealth or the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organization of fifty-three independent member states....
 (or former Commonwealth) nations, the Chancellor is usually a titular (figurehead) non-resident head, often with a Pro-Chancellor
Pro-Chancellor

A Pro-Chancellor is an officer of some university in Commonwealth of Nations countries. The Pro-Chancellor acts as a deputy to the chancellor and as practical chairman of the University Council....
 as practical Chairman of the governing body ("The Council
University Council

A University Council may be the executive body of a university's governance system, an advisory body to the University President, or something in between in authority....
"); the actual chief executive of a university is the Vice-Chancellor
Vice-Chancellor

A Vice-Chancellor of a university in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, India other Commonwealth of Nations countries, and some universities in Hong Kong, is the chief executive of the University....
.

Australia

In Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, the Chancellor is Chairman of the University's governing body; thus, as well as having ceremonial duties, the Chancellor participates in the governance of the University (but not its active management). The Chancellor is assisted by a Deputy Chancellor (known as the Pro-Chancellor in some universities). The Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor are frequently drawn from the senior ranks of business or the judiciary (it is one of the few jobs considered compatible with judicial service). Some universities have a Visitor
Visitor

A Visitor, in United Kingdom law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous Church body or charitable organization institution , who can intervene in the internal affairs of that institution....
, who is senior to the Chancellor, and is generally the state Governor (or, for Catholic universities, a Bishop). Once upon a time, university disputes could be appealed from the governing board to the Visitor (as is still the case in the UK), but nowadays such appeal is generally prohibited by legislation, and the position has only ceremonial functions. (In fact, little function at all, since the Visitor will rarely attend University functions, unlike the Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor, who frequently preside at functions such as graduations.)

Macquarie University
Macquarie University

Macquarie University is an Australian public research university located in Sydney. Its main campus is in Macquarie Park and also has overseas campuses in Hong Kong and Singapore....
 in Sydney
Sydney

Sydney is the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million . It is the List of Australian capital cities of New South Wales, and was the site of the first British Empire colony in Australia....
, in particular, is noteworthy in having the unique position of Emeritus Deputy Chancellor, a post created for John Lincoln on his retirement from his long-held post of Deputy Chancellor in 2000. The new position is not merely an honorary title, as it also retains a place in the University Council for Lincoln.

Canada, Hong Kong and Scotland


Canadian
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 and Scottish
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
 universities have a figurehead Chancellor, but the day-to-day operations are typically handled by a "Principal" who also carries the title of Vice-Chancellor. In Canada, the Principal may also be called "President
President

President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, company, trade unions, university, and country. Etymology, a "president" is one who Wiktionary:Preside, who sits in leadership ....
" or "Rector
Rector

The word rector has a number of different meanings, but all of them indicate an academic, religious or political administrator.The word "rector" also appears in many modern languages, such as Albanian, Dutch language, Spanish language, Catalan language and Romanian language....
". See: the category for Canadian chancellors of universities and colleges.

In Hong Kong
Hong Kong

Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located in Southern China in East Asia, bordering the province of Guangdong to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east, west and south....
, Chief Executive of Hong Kong
Chief Executive of Hong Kong

The Chief Executive of Hong Kong is the head of government of the government of Hong Kong and the principal representative of Hong Kong. The position was created to replace the Governor of Hong Kong, who was the head of the Hong Kong government during British rule....
 acts as the Chancellor of all public universities. Day-to-day operation is in the hands of either a Vice-Chancellor or a President, depending on the institution.

Germany

In Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
, the chancellor is the head of the university's administration and leader of the non-scientific staff. Highest representative and leader of the scientific staff is a rector
Rector

The word rector has a number of different meanings, but all of them indicate an academic, religious or political administrator.The word "rector" also appears in many modern languages, such as Albanian, Dutch language, Spanish language, Catalan language and Romanian language....
 or president, depending on the university's constitution.

India


In India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
, almost all universities have a chancellor as their titular head whose function is largely ceremonial. Normally the state universities will have the Governor of that particular state as their administrator, while president of the country is their chancellor. The de-facto head of the university is the Vice-Chancellor. His equivalent for engineering institutes is the Director, even for those engineering institutes that are university equivalents, like the Indian Institutes of Technology
Indian Institutes of Technology

The Indian Institutes of Technology , are a group of thirteen autonomous engineering and technology-oriented institutes of higher education established and declared as Institutes of National Importance by the Parliament of India....
.

Republic of Ireland

In the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
 the four universities all have a Chancellor as their figurehead leader. However day-to-day operations of the universities are under the directorship of a President (a Provost
Provost (education)

Provost is the title of a senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada. It is the equivalent of Deputy Vice Chancellor or Pro-Vice-Chancellor at certain institutions in United Kingdom and Ireland such as Trinity College Dublin, and the head of certain ancient colleges ....
 in the case of Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin

Trinity College, Dublin , corporately designated as the Provost, Fellows and Scholars of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I of England as the "mother of a university", and is the only constituent residential college of the University of Dublin....
). The National University of Ireland
National University of Ireland

The National University of Ireland , , is a Federation university system of constituent universities, previously called university college, and recognised colleges set up under the , and significantly amended by the ....
's constituent universities do not have a chancellor each, rather, the president of each constituent university has the title of Pro-Vice-Chancellor
Pro-Vice-Chancellor

In a university, an assistant to a Vice-Chancellor is called a Pro-Vice-Chancellor . These are sometimes teaching academics who take on additional responsibilities....
 of the NUI. In Dublin City University
Dublin City University

Dublin City University is a university situated between Glasnevin, Ballymun and Whitehall, Dublin on the Northside of Dublin in Republic of Ireland....
 and the University of Limerick
University of Limerick

The University of Limerick was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by Act of the Oireachtas in 1989 in accordance with the ....
, the chancellor is also the chairman of the university's Governing Authority.

Malaysia

In Malaysia
Malaysia

Malaysia is a federation that consists of States of Malaysia in Southeast Asia with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government....
, the chancellor position is given to dignitaries such as royalty or prominent politicians by universities to represent the universities in the political arena. For example, the chancellor of University of Malaya
University of Malaya

The University of Malaya is the oldest university in Malaysia. The university motto is Ilmu Punca Kemajuan .It was recognised as one of the top universities in Malaysia but university rankings in recent years have seen the decline of UM's ranking ....
, the oldest university in Malaysia is Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak, the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Yang di-Pertuan Agong

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the highest ranking office created by the constitution of the federation of Malaysia. The office was first established in 1957....
 of Malaysia. His Majesty's eldest son, Raja Nazrin Shah
Raja Nazrin Shah

}Raja Dr Nazrin Shah ibni Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah is the Crown Prince of Perak. He is the eldest son of the current Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Muhibbudin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yusuff Izzudin Shah Ghafarullahu-lahu and the Tuanku Bainun....
 is a Pro-Chancellor
Pro-Chancellor

A Pro-Chancellor is an officer of some university in Commonwealth of Nations countries. The Pro-Chancellor acts as a deputy to the chancellor and as practical chairman of the University Council....
 at the same university.

The chancellor of Universiti Putra Malaysia
Universiti Putra Malaysia

Universiti Putra Malaysia , or UPM, is a leading research intensive public university located in central Peninsular Malaysia, close to the capital city, Kuala Lumpur....
 is the current Sultan of Selangor
Sultan of Selangor

Sultan of Selangor is the title of the constitutional ruler of Selangor, Malaysia....
, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, while the current Yang di-Pertuan Besar
Yang di-Pertuan Besar

In Malay language, Yang di-Pertuan Besar, literally "He Who Is Made Great" or "Great Ruler", is a monarchy title....
 of modern Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan

Negeri Sembilan , meaning "state of nine" in Malay language, is one of the 13 states that consitute the Federation of Malaysia. It is located on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and is bordered in the north by Selangor, in the east by Pahang and in the south by Malacca and Johor....
 (and also tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Yang di-Pertuan Agong

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the highest ranking office created by the constitution of the federation of Malaysia. The office was first established in 1957....
), Tuanku Jaafar
Tuanku Jaafar

Malay titles Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Order of the Bath was the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 26 April 1994 until 25 April 1999 and the fourth Yang di-Pertuan Besar of modern Negeri Sembilan....
 is the chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia is a public university located in Bangi, Selangor which is about 35 km south of Kuala Lumpur. There is also a teaching hospital in Cheras and a branch campus in Kuala Lumpur....
.

Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah
Jeanne Abdullah

Malay titles Jeanne Abdullah nee Danker daughter of Matthew Danker is the wife of the current Prime Minister of Malaysia, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi....
, the wife of the current Prime Minister of Malaysia
Prime Minister of Malaysia

The Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is formally appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, and is invariably the leader of the largest party in the Dewan Rakyat, the elected lower house of Parliament of Malaysia....
, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was appointed as the new Chancellor of Open University Malaysia
Open University Malaysia

About OUM Open University Malaysia or OUM is the 7th Malaysian private university owned by the . It leverages on the quality, prestige and capabilities of its owners - a consortium of 11 List of universities in Malaysia....
 to take over the role from the first chancellor, the late YBhg Datin Paduka Seri Endon Mahmood
Endon Mahmood

Malay titles Endon binti Mahmood was the first wife of the current Prime Minister of Malaysia, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. She died from breast cancer on October 20, 2005....
 (Abdullah Badawi's first wife).

Recently, UCSI
UCSI

UCSI University is a university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.UCSI stands for University College Sedaya International....
 in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur , is the largest city of Malaysia. The city proper, making up an area of , has an estimated population of 1.6 million in 2006. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million....
 has given recognition to Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Abdul Rahman Arshad as its first chancellor.

The Philippines


In the Philippines
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, the premier state university (University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines

The University of the Philippines is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No. 1870 of the first Philippine Legislature, known as the "University Act" by authority of the United States, the University provides tertiary-level education in almost every field: law, public administration/governance/political s...
) designates the head of its autonomous universities as the Chancellor. The autonomous universities make up the system, whose head is designated as the President. The Chancellor designates the different Vice-Chancellors for different areas of concern of the University: academic affairs, finance, and community affairs, among others.

Pakistan

In Pakistan chancellor is normally the figure head of the university, who is normally the provincial governor where that university exists. Day to day business of the university is run by the vice chancellor.

United States

In the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, heads of universities are typically called either "president" or "chancellor," depending on the preference and statutes of the university. A state's university system
University system

A university system is a set of multiple, affiliated universities and colleges that are usually geographically distributed. Typically, all member universities in a university system share a common component among all of their various names....
 may also be headed by a "chancellor" who serves as system-wide chief, with presidents governing individual campuses. There are also some university systems in which those two titles are reversed.

Chancellors or presidents are normally the functional chief executive officers of their universities. There are some exceptions: for instance, the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary

The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public university research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, Virginia, United States....
 uses chancellor in the British sense, as a figurehead leader, but the actual executive of the school is the "president," not a "vice-chancellor"; The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America

The Catholic University of America , located in Northeast Washington, D.C., is the national university of the Roman Catholic Church and the only higher education institution founded by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops....
 is headed by a President
The Catholic University of America

The Catholic University of America , located in Northeast Washington, D.C., is the national university of the Roman Catholic Church and the only higher education institution founded by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops....
 (formerly "rector") and the Archbishop of Washington
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is a "particular church" of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It comprises the District of Columbia and Calvert County, Maryland, Charles County, Maryland, Montgomery County, Maryland, Prince George's County, Maryland and Saint Mary's County, Maryland county in the state of Maryland....
 serves as Chancellor, a ceremonial position but one which does technically require the archbishop to represent the university before the Holy See
Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church....
.

Outside universities, the title is sometimes used to designate other education officials, such as the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education
New York City Department of Education

The New York City Department of Education is the branch of municipal government in New York City that manages the city's public school system. These schools form the largest school system in the United States, with over 1.1 million students taught in more than 1,400 separate schools....
, the chief executive officer of the municipally-run public schools in that city.

See also

  • Lists of university leaders
    Lists of university leaders

    For articles listing various university leaders around the world, please see individual national articles from following countries:*List of Australian university leaders...
    • Administrators: trustee
      Trustee

      Trustee is a legal term that refers to a holder of property on behalf of a beneficiary . A Trust law can be set up either to benefit particular persons, or for any Charitable trust : typical examples are a testamentary trust for the testator's children and family, a pension trust , and a charitable trust....
      , president
      President

      President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, company, trade unions, university, and country. Etymology, a "president" is one who Wiktionary:Preside, who sits in leadership ....
      , vice president
      Vice president

      A vice president is an Corporate officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin List of Latin phrases #vice meaning 'in place of'....
      , university principal
      Principal (university)

      The Principal is the chief executive and the Provost of a university or college in certain parts of the Commonwealth of Nations....
      , dean
      Dean (education)

      In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific Academia unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both....
      , provost
      Provost (education)

      Provost is the title of a senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada. It is the equivalent of Deputy Vice Chancellor or Pro-Vice-Chancellor at certain institutions in United Kingdom and Ireland such as Trinity College Dublin, and the head of certain ancient colleges ....
    • Other: college
      College

      File:Government college for Women Dhoke Kala Khan.JPGCollege is a term most often used today to denote an education institution. More broadly, it can be the name of any group of collegialitys, for example, an electoral college, a College of Arms or the College of Cardinals....
      , faculty
      Faculty (university)

      A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas . The concept of a university with different faculties for different subjects dates back to Al-Azhar University, which had individual faculties for a Madrasah and theological seminary, Sharia and Fiqh, Arabic grammar, Islamic astronom...
      , professor
      Professor

      The meaning of the word professor varies. In some English-speaking countries, it refers to a senior academic who holds a departmental chair, especially as head of the Academic department, or a personal chair awarded specifically to that individual....