A university chancellor is the highest-ranking official position in a college or university. This individual is in charge of the entire faculty and student body, as well as the school’s financial health and well-being. The chancellor of a university oversees all of the university’s programs, and the heads of each department must report to him. A chancellor serves as the president of the college or university where he or she works.
Many universities and colleges have both a chancellor and a vice-chancellor, which is especially true on campuses with a large student body. Although chancellors are considered the head of a college or university, they can occasionally report to the university’s governing board of trustees or other official board. The university chancellor is also in charge of all funds raised to support the school’s programs, as well as all expenditures. If funds are insufficient to support all of a school’s existing programs, the chancellor may choose to eliminate some of them. Many programs at the university level are only possible because of adequate funding.
Each university has its own set of core values and ethics that it adheres to. The chancellor usually sets the tone for these values, as he works tirelessly to instill the core values as a mission statement for the school. Many chancellors use their school’s mission statement as the foundation for all of their programs. This statement is usually incorporated into the school’s logo and most promotional materials.
As the school’s chief executive officer, college administrators and all heads of university departments, known as deans, must report to the chancellor. Deans of all departments are in charge of their respective departments. The dean of athletics, for example, is in charge of all physical education classes as well as all sports teams at the college or university. All information about the department, including financial data and overall performance reports, is reported to the chancellor the dean.
In addition to a vice chancellor, a university chancellor can have assistant chancellors. In larger universities, these positions are created. This will relieve the chancellor of some of his responsibilities.