The Vice-Chancellor at a university is the key individual with the ability to shape the fortunes of students who are aspiring to become a vice chancellor in future. Whereas some universities have rectors and podiatrists as their head, others have vice chancellors which are more important positions. Vice chancellors and other university heads are usually appointed by the board of directors, and due to their pivotal role in academic excellence as well as administration of students’ affairs, they can wield enormous power within the institution. They are aspirants for these positions are expected to be specialized on university management and administration processes and strategies.
If you’ve ever wondered how to become a vice chancellor this article will help. I have experience in becoming a vice chancellor and so I’m writing this guide to show you how to apply for the job as vice chancellor, how to get the job, how much you can expect to earn and also explain what you’ll be expected to do if you’re successful.
How To Become A Vice Chancellor
What Is a Vice Chancellor?
A vice chancellor is a prestigious academic role usually present in universities in the United Kingdom, Australia, and other Commonwealth countries. Some prestigious American universities also adopt the title. Functionally, it’s the same position as a vice president of a university. In this job, your duties typically are interviewing faculty, representing the university in business transactions, helping to improve education, and filing reports to governing agencies.
How to Become a Vice Chancellor
To become a vice chancellor, you normally have to be invited to apply for the position. You need to have the highest degree possible in your field of study and a proven track record of teaching excellence. A tenured professor has a decent chance of becoming a vice chancellor. You must also have strong skills in business administration and management, and be an excellent leader. Being awarded this role is excellent for virtually any career in academia.
Most UK university Vice-Chancellors have a background in subjects such as science, medicine,
engineering, and social studies. By comparison there is a proportionately smaller number of ViceChancellors who previously taught business or management, or managed a business school.
Given the large scale operations and complexity of leading a business school, this paper explores the
reasons why there are comparatively few Vice-Chancellors who have come through the business and
management route, and suggests strategies for senior business school staff who aspire to roles such as
Vice-Chancellor. These solutions are partly informed by individuals with experience in recruiting for ViceChancellor positions and have specialist knowledge in the factors that influence recruitment decisions. The
paper also offers ideas as to how the leadership capacity of business academics can be deployed to the
benefit of the wider university sector.
Academic context
UK business schools teach the most popular subject areas across our universities, with 15% of all students
enrolled on a business course which is the highest proportion for any subject1
. Yet based on our research
1 HESA Student Record 2016/17, using the Heidi Plus Online Analytics service. Copyright Higher Education Statistics
Agency Limited. Neither the Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited nor HESA Services Limited can accept
responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from data or other information obtained from
Heidi Plus.
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
As % of Total
Figure 1. Representation by subject: Comparison between ViceChancellors and student populations by subject
Proportion of Vice-Chancellors with a background primarily
in subject
Proportion of Full Person Equivalent Students in each
subject (2016/17)
Student data from HESA Student Record
[2016/17], Copyright Higher Education Statistics
Agency Limited
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Chartered Association of Business Schools, January 2019
only 6% of current Vice-Chancellors have a teaching or research background in business and
management. The proportion is 8% if we include those who do not have a teaching or research
background in business and management, but who have been a business school dean. Vice-Chancellors
with backgrounds in the sciences, social studies, engineering and medicine (including subjects allied to
medicine) account for 55% of the total.
Table 1. Breakdown of current University Vice-Chancellors by HESA JACS subject area
Subject (HESA JACS) Vice-Chancellors:
primary teaching/research area
As % of Total
Physical Sciences 19 14%
Biological Sciences 15 11%
Social Studies 15 11%
Engineering & Technology 13 9%
Medicine & Dentistry 9 6%
Historical & Philosophical Studies 9 6%
Business & Administrative Studies 8 6%
Non-academic background 7 5%
Languages 7 5%
Unknown 7 5%
Creative Arts & Design 6 4%
Subjects allied to medicine 6 4%
Law 5 4%
Computer Science 4 3%
Education 4 3%
Veterinary Science 3 2%
Mathematical Sciences 1 1%
Architecture, Building & Planning 1 1%
Mass Communications &
Documentation
0 0%
Agriculture & related subjects 0 0%
Total 139 100%
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Chartered Association of Business Schools, January 2019
EXPLORING THE REPRESENTATION OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT ACADEMICS WITHIN
VICE-CHANCELLOR POSITIONS
Perception of business schools
The perception that the field of business and management is more practical than academic still lingers
despite the fact that some of the UK’s oldest institutions have introduced business schools since the 1990s.
The relatively late development of business and management as an academic subject has been a factor in
limiting the progression of business academics to senior leadership positions within universities. Although
many business academics have published best-selling books this doesn’t automatically gain the same
kudos as publishing in certain academic journals.
However with impact, internationalisation and corporate interaction becoming more important than pure
academic research for publication in journals, senior business school staff are well-placed to take a leading
role in initiatives such as REF, TEF and KEF. This has the potential to increase their standing within the
academic community and lead to a wider range of career opportunities.
University structures
Within some of the older, more research-intensive institutions the business school Dean often operates at
a departmental level and reports to an Executive Dean or Pro-Vice-Chancellor, thereby limiting the
opportunity to gain senior managerial experience which could enhance their future career prospects. In
contrast flat institutional structures are more helpful to progression and these are often found in smaller
and/or newer universities.
Indeed business schools are sometimes perceived as almost autonomous and therefore sitting outside of
the faculty structure. Whilst this can help business schools be nimble, innovative and competitive, it isn’t
always helpful in facilitating the progression from business school Dean to other senior roles. Furthermore,
business schools are often seen as somehow separate from the rest of the university and as having a
narrower remit than other academic departments. Business academics may be less likely to be considered
for cross-functional leadership roles if they are perceived as doing something discrete from the main
activities of the institution.
Research funding
The pool of research council funding available for business is arguably smaller than for most other
subjects which can affect the reputation of business academics and thus inhibit the potential for career
progression. The Vice-Chancellor role often requires a level of credibility with faculty members which
explains why it is usually filled by those who have spent their career in academia. Tightly managed
research groups working under the leadership of a principal investigator are also less common in Business
and Management which means that business school Deans often struggle to maintain their research
output due to being unable to delegate activities to colleagues. The increasing use of deputy and
associate Deans may help to mitigate this issue.
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Chartered Association of Business Schools, January 2019
Choice
Some business school Deans may not want to become a Vice-Chancellor even if the opportunity arose, as
there are arguably more non-academic career avenues open to them than is the case for academics from
other fields. Consultancy opportunities, for example, may represent a more appealing balance of financial
reward to effort. The PVC role is increasingly seen as the preparatory step to becoming a Vice-Chancellor
but these roles vary from institution to institution and might not carry much weight if there is no line
management and no budget
