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A rector (Latin language for 'ruler') is a senior official in an educational institution, and can refer to an official in either a university or a secondary school. Outside the English-speaking world, the rector is often the most senior official in a university, while in the United States, the highest-ranking officer within a university's academic administration is often referred to as president. In the United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Nations, a university's chief executive is called vice-chancellor. The term and office of a rector can be referred to as a rectorate. The title is used widely in universities in EuropeEuropean nations where the word rector or a cognate thereof ( rektor, recteur, etc.) is used in referring to university administrators include Albania, Austria, Benelux, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scandinavia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine. and is very common in Latin American countries. Rector is used for university administrators in Latin American nations such as: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. It is also used in Brunei, Macau, Turkey, Russia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Israel and the Middle East. In the ancient universities of Scotland the rector, elected by students (and staff at Edinburgh), is formally the third most senior officer of the university and was historically responsible for chairing the university court.
Today, Austrian universities are headed by a rectorate (vice-chancellor's office), consisting of a rector (vice-chancellor), who is elected by the university council, and 3-5 additional vice rectors (pro-vice-chancellors). The rector (vice-chancellor) is the CEO of the university.Universitätsgesetz 2002
The rector appoints vice-rectors ( pro-rektor), who act as deputies to the extent determined by the Rector. Rectors' salaries are determined directly by the Minister of Education.
Among the most important rectors of Czech universities were reformer Jan Hus, physician Jan Jesenius, theologian Rodrigo de Arriaga and representative of Enlightenment Josef Vratislav Monse. Jiřina Popelová (Palacký University of Olomouc) became the first female Rector in 1950.
The rectors are addressed "Your Magnificence Rector" ( "Vaše Magnificence pane rektore").
Rektor is also the official title of the principal/headmaster of an elementary school; the deputies are called Konrektor. In earlier times, the title Rektor was also used for the head of a Gymnasium. Today, these teachers usually hold the title of Oberstudiendirektor ("Senior Director of Studies").
The term of a rettore is now six years, in accordance with the new national regulation and the statuto (constitution of the university).
The Rettore is styled and formally greeted as Magnifico Rettore (Magnificent Rector).
In Dutch universities, the Rector Magnificus is responsible for the scientific vision and quality of the university. The rector magnificus is one of the members of the executive board of a university. The rector magnificus is a full professor. The ceremonial responsibilities of the rector magnificus are to open the academic year, and to preside over the ceremonial PhD defenses and inaugural lectures of newly appointed (full) professors. During PhD defenses the rector is usually replaced by another full professor who is acting rector during the session.
Traditionally, Norwegian universities and colleges had democratic elections for the rector and pro-rector positions. Since 2016, the institutions may choose to have an elected or an appointed rector. Universities and colleges usually have a university director or college director, who is the head of the administration (i.e., the non-academic employees) and subordinate to the rectorate.
As of 2008, the term of office of the rector of public universities lasts for four years (previously three years), beginning on 1 September in an election year and ending on 31 August of the year in which the term ends. A person may not be elected to serve as rector for more than two consecutive terms. In the case of private universities the rule is regulated by university statute.
In Spain, Rector or Rector Magnífico (magnific rector, from Latin Rector Magnificus) is the highest administrative and educational office in a university, equivalent to that of president or chancellor of an English-speaking university but holding all the powers of a vice-chancellor; they are thus the head of the academy at universities. Formally styled as Excelentísimo e Ilustrísimo Señor Profesor Doctor Don N, Rector Magnífico de la Universidad de X ("Most Excellent and Illustrious Lord Professor Doctor Don N, Rector Magnificus of the University of X"), it is an office of high dignity within Spanish society, usually being highly respected. It is not strange to see them appear in the media, especially when some academic-related subject is being discussed and their opinion is requested.
Spanish rectors are chosen from within the body of university full ( Catedráticos in Spanish); it is compulsory for anyone aspiring to become a rector to have been a doctor for at least six years before his election, and to have achieved professor status, holding it in the same university for which he is running. Usually, when running for election, the rector will need to have chosen the vice-rectors ( vicerrectores in Spanish), who will occupy several sub-offices in the university. Rectors are elected directly by free and secret universal suffrage of all the members of the university, including students, lecturers, readers, researchers, and civil servants. However, the weight of the vote in each academic sector is different: the total student vote usually represents 20% of the whole, no matter how many students there are; the votes of the entire group made up of professors and readers (members of what used to be known as the Claustro ( cloister)) usually count for about 40-50% of the total; lecturers, researchers (including Ph.D. students and others) and non-doctoral teachers, about 20% of the total; and the remainder (usually some 5-10%) is left for non-scholarly workers (people in administration, etc.) in the university. Spanish law allows those percentages to be changed according to the situation of each university, or even not to have a direct election system. Indeed, in a few universities the Rector is chosen indirectly; the members of the modern Claustro (a sort of electoral college or parliament in which all the above-mentioned groups are represented) is chosen first, and then the Claustro selects the Rector.
Rectors hold their office for four years before another election is held, and there is no limit to the number of re-election terms. However, only the most charismatic and respected rectors have been able to hold their office for more than two or three terms. Of those, some have been notable Spanish people scholars, such as Basque people writer Miguel de Unamuno, Rector of the University of Salamanca from 1901 until 1936.
In the older universities, Uppsala university and Lund university, the rektor is titled rector magnificus (men), or rectrix magnifica (women). Younger universities have in more recent years started using the Latin honorary title in formal situations, such as in honorary speeches or graduation ceremonies.
The University Chancellor of Sweden was until 2017 the title of the head of the government accrediting agency, the National Agency for Higher Education. From 2017, this position carries the title Director General which is the usual title of the head of a government agency. The people recruited to the position have in later times always been former rektors of a Swedish university. The position does not include leadership of a university.
Universities and colleges usually have a Universitetsdirektör or Förvaltningschef, who is the head of the administration (i.e., the non-academic employees) and subordinate to the rectorate.
At Liverpool Hope University, the academic head of the university has the title of "vice-chancellor and rector". Prior to the institution becoming a university in 2005, the head of Liverpool Hope University College was titled "rector". The title is also used at the University of Oxford by the heads of college at Lincoln College and Exeter College. The head of Mater Ecclesiae College, the Pontifical faculty within St Mary's University, Twickenham, also uses the title of rector.
The title of rector is also used for the ceremonial head (normally titled chancellor at British universities) of Brunel University London and City St George's, University of London. At Durham University, the titular and religious head of St Chad's College is the rector (a position held ex officio by the Dean of Durham Cathedral), while the academic head is the principal.
Historically, the head of Imperial College London was called the rector, until this was split into a provost and "president and rector" in 2012. In 2014, Alice Gast was announced as simply president, replacing Keith O'Nions who had been "president and rector". An amendment to the university's statutes in November 2014 formally replaced the title of rector with that of president. Prior to their conversion to universities, some polytechnics had a rector as the head of the establishment; following their transition to universities, the position of rector was retitled as vice-chancellor. Polytechnics using this title included Central London, East London, Huddersfield, Liverpool and Sunderland. Some colleges of higher education, such as Nene College of Higher Education, also used the title of rector prior to becoming universities. King's College, Newcastle, the Newcastle division of the then-federal University of Durham, was led by a rector from its establishment in 1937 until it became Newcastle University in 1963, when the rector of the college became the vice-chancellor of the new university. The position of vice-chancellor of the federal university alternated between the rector of King's College (as vice-chancellor and rector) and the warden of the Durham colleges, the head of the Durham division (as vice-chancellor and warden). At the University of Cambridge, the officers now known as were originally (in the 13th century) called rectors.
The current office of rector, sometimes termed lord rector, was instituted by the Universities (Scotland) Act 1858, passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. With the Universities (Scotland) Act 1889 requiring an election for the rector every three years in the ancient universities. The rector is the third-ranking official of university governance and is elected every three years by matriculation students at Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow and St Andrews, and by both the students and the staff at Edinburgh. Until the Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Act 2016 came into force, the rector chaired meetings of the university court, the governing body of the university; since 2016 the rector only opens and closes court meetings with the senior lay member chairing the business of the meeting.
The titular ruler of an ancient university in Scotland is the chancellor, who appoints a vice-chancellor to deputise in the awarding of academic degree. The principal of each university is, by convention, appointed as vice-chancellor, however the position of vice-chancellor does not confer any other powers or responsibility on the principal. The authority to serve as chief executive of each university is vested in the office of principal, who holds both offices referred to as principal and bice-chancellor.
The role of the rector is considered by many students to be integral to their ability to shape the universities' agenda, and one of the main functions of the rector is to represent the interests of the student body. To some extent the office of rector has evolved into more of a figurehead role, with a significant number of celebrities and personalities elected as rectors, such as Stephen Fry and Lorraine Kelly at Dundee, Clarissa Dickson Wright at Aberdeen, and John Cleese and Frank Muir at St Andrews, and political figures, such as Mordechai Vanunu at Glasgow. In many cases, particularly with high-profile rectors, attendance at the university court in person is rare; the rector nominates an individual (normally a member of the student body) with the title of rector's assessor, who sits as a voting member of the university court.
Gordon Brown, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was rector of the University of Edinburgh while a student there but since then most universities have amended their procedures to disqualify currently matriculated students from standing for election.
, the rector of the University of Aberdeen is Iona Fyfe, a Scottish folk singer; the rector of the University of Dundee is arts consultant Keith Harris; the rector of the University of Edinburgh is Simon Fanshawe; the rector of the University of Glasgow is Ghassan Abu-Sittah; and the rector of the University of St Andrews is Stella Maris.
As in most Commonwealth and British-influenced countries, the term "rector" is not commonly used in English in Canada outside Quebec. At the bilingual University of Ottawa, in Ontario the term president is used in English while recteur (or rectrice) continues is the French term for the head of the university. In addition, the historically French-Catholic, and now bilingual, Saint Paul University, also in Ottawa, uses the term to denote its head.
At the University of Manitoba, affiliates such as the Roman Catholic St. Paul's College and the French language Université de Saint-Boniface also uses the term 'rector' to designate the head of those institutions.
Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario) uses the term "rector". The term refers to a member of the student body elected to work as an equal with the chancellor and principal. The Badge of Office of the Rector of Queen's University was registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority on 15 October 2004.http://archive.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=511 Badge of Office See List of Rectors of Queen's University.
The rector of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the most relevant Mexican university, is an important mediatic figure of academic authority for all the country. The political relevance of the university makes the rector office one disputed political position and the ex-rectors are often related with the public service after their appointment, for example, Juan Ramón de la Fuente rector from 1999 to 2007 was Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations between 2018 and 2024, and since then is Minister for Foreign Affairs in the government of Claudia Sheinbaum. Similarly, José Narro Robles rector from 2007 to 2015 was after head of the Ministry of Health. Since 2015 the office of rector on the UNAM is occupied by Enrique Graue Wiechers, who was appointed for his second and last period (2019-2023).
"Rector" is commonly used in Virginia, however. The University of Virginia, University of Mary Washington, George Mason University, Virginia State University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Longwood University, Washington and Lee University, the College of William and Mary, Old Dominion University, Christopher Newport University, and Virginia Tech all use the term "Rector" to designate the presiding officer of the Board of Visitors or "Board of Trustees", in the case of Washington and Lee. Thomas Jefferson served as the first rector of the University of Virginia, beginning in 1819, and intended that the school would not have a president; it lacked that position until 1904.
From 1701 to 1745, the head of the school that was to become Yale University was termed the "rector". As head of Yale College, Thomas Clap was both the last to be called "rector" (1740–1745) and the first to be referred to as president (1745–1766). Modern custom omits the use of the term "rector" and identifies Abraham Pierson as the first Yale president (1701–1707), making Clap the fifth of Yale's leaders, regardless of title.Welch, Lewis et al. (1899). Yale, Her Campus, Class-rooms, and Athletics, p. 445.
Several Catholic Church colleges and universities, particularly those run by religious orders of priests (such as the Jesuits) used to employ the term "rector" to refer to the school's chief officer. In many cases, the rector was also the head of the community of priests assigned to the school, so the two posts – head of the university and local superior of the priests – were merged in the role of rector ( See "Ecclesiastical rectors"). This practice is mostly no longer followed, as the details of the governance of most of these schools have changed. Creighton University still appoints a rector. At the University of Notre Dame, the title "rector" is used for those in charge of individual residence halls.
Some American high schools also have a rector; for example, at St. Paul's School in New Hampshire, the rector is equivalent to a Head teacher or head of the school.
The title rector is sometimes used for the head of a subordinate and geographically separate campus of a university. For example, the executive head of the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra, which is a campus of the University of New South Wales in Sydney is a Rector, as is the head of the Cairns campus of James Cook University, based at Townsville.
During the Spanish colonial period, on 20 May 1865, a royal order from Queen Isabella II gave the Rector Magnificus of the University of Santo Tomas the power to direct and supervise all the educational institutions in the Philippines and thus, the Rector of the university became the ex officio head of the secondary and higher education in the Philippines. All diplomas issued by other schools were approved by the Rector of the university and examinations leading to the issuance of such diplomas were supervised by the professors of the University of Santo Tomas. http://www.varsitarian.net/supplement/rectors_supplement/history_of_the_rectorship The Varsitarian website Accessed 4 August 2012 History of the University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas website Accessed 4 August 2012
Except Assumption University, the only International Catholic University in Thailand, the position of the head of the executives and administrators of the institute is "rector". A decade after the present rector assume his duty, the title of Rector Magnificus was bestowed on Rev. Bro. Bancha Saenghiran, f.s.g., Ph.D. at a solemn Academic ceremony on 1 November 2011 at the Assumption University Suvarnabhumi campus in the ornate Chapel of St. Louis Marie de Montfort (founder of the Montfortian Brothers of St. Gabriel.)
Deputies of rectors in institutions are known as vice-rectors (in parishes, as curates, assistant - or associate rectors, etc.). In some universities the title vice-rector has, like vice-chancellor in many Anglo-Saxon cases, been used for the de facto head when the essentially honorary title of rector is reserved for a high externa dignitary; until 1920, there was such a vice-recteur at the Parisian Sorbonne as the French Minister of Education was its nominal recteur.
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