Vice-Chancellors and Presidents: Surveying National and International Academic Markets

This chapter begins with an assessment of what the role of the university vice chancellor or president (the highest-ranking position depending on terminology and location) traditionally involved, who was selected, and what issues they had to watch out for/contend with to complete their role. The chapter uses interviews with vice chancellors from England, and university presidents from Canada, to determine what the role involves in the twenty-first century. The chapter highlights that the highest level of office which was for centuries about the senior academic of the university directing the teaching and learning to position the university amongst their peers, and attracting academics and students who would aid to these objectives. In contrast, the leaders of today speak of their role as being largely business focused, contending with media issues, predicting funding and enrolment trends, or redistributing funds to research that is likely to result in grants and contracts. These duties have not only redefined the role, but as the chapter’s analysis discusses, it separates the vice-chancellors and presidents (and other executive leaders) from teaching and research practices. They might view teaching and research as a commodity, not as methods of knowledge creation and dissemination.