Chancellor (education)

A Chancellor is the head of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as President or Rector.

In most Commonwealth (or former Commonwealth) nations, the Chancellor is usually a titular (figurehead) non-resident head, often with a Pro-Chancellor as practical Chairman of the governing body ("The Council"); the actual chief executive of a university is the Vice-Chancellor.

Canada, Hong Kong and Scotland

Canadian and Scottish 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" or "Rector". See: the category for Canadian chancellors of universities and colleges.

In Hong Kong, universities also have a figurehead Chancellor. Day-to-day operation is in the hands of either a Vice-Chancellor or a President, depending on the institution.

Republic of Ireland

In the Republic of Ireland 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 in the case of Trinity College Dublin). The National University of Ireland's constituent universities do not have a chancellor each, rather, the president of each constituent university has the title of Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the NUI. In Dublin City University and the University of Limerick, the chancellor is also the chairman of the university's Governing Authority.

Australia

In Australia, 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, 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 in Sydney, 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.

United States

In the United States, heads of universities are typically called either "president" or "chancellor," depending on the preference and statutes of the university. A state's university system 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.

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The College of William and Mary uses chancellor in the British way for a figurehead leader but the day-to-day head is an American-style "president," not a "vice-chancellor." The incumbent Chancellor is Sandra Day O'Connor, former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Previous holders of the office of Chancellor include George Washington, John Tyler, Warren Burger, Margaret Thatcher, and Henry Kissinger. Before independence several Bishops of London and Archbishops of Canterbury served as Chancellor.

The Catholic University of America is headed by a President and the Archbishop of Washington serves as Chancellor. The current archbishop and chancellor, Donald Wuerl, represents the university before the Holy See.

The University of Mississippi uses the chancellor system, with the chancellor serving as the chief executive officer of the system, while the medical school is headed by a vice chancellor and the four other campuses are headed by various deans that report directly to the vice-chancellor of academic affairs.

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

India

In India, almost all universities have a chancellor as their titular head whose function is largely ceremonial. 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.

The Philippines

In the Philippines, the premier state university (University of the Philippines) 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.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, 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, the oldest university in Malaysia is Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak, the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia. His Majesty's eldest son, Raja Nazrin Shah is a Pro-Chancellor at the same university.

The chancellor of Universiti Putra Malaysia is the current Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, while the current Yang di-Pertuan Besar of modern Negeri Sembilan (and also tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong), Tuanku Jaafar is the chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah, the wife of the current Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was appointed as the new Chancellor of Open University Malaysia to take over the role from the first chancellor, the late YBhg Datin Paduka Seri Endon Mahmood (Abdullah Badawi's first wife).

Recently, UCSI in Kuala Lumpur has given recognition to Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Abdul Rahman Arshad as its first chancellor.