Goodbye vice-chancellor, hello chief executive

By Claire Shaw. Do changes to university job titles matter and what do they say about the role of our institutions and their leaders? We've been talking titles on the Higher Education Network lately, following the news that both Regent's College and the College of Law in London have been granted the right to call themselves universities. But the name swaps aren't limited to institutions. Leaders of UK universities are also substituting the traditional job title of vice-chancellor with that of chief executive in a bid to avoid confusion abroad. No longer is one business card enough. University heads are flashing different cards at different contacts, with vice-chancellors at institutions such as Exeter, Leeds, UCL, Cardiff, Huddersfield and Plymouth preferring to use chief executive or opting for American labels such as president when travelling overseas. Read more...