The Office and Role of Vice-Chancellor in Australian Universities

Abstract

The position of vice-chancellor is of vital importance in universities but it has attracted little research attention. This study investigated the office and role of vice-chancellor in Australian universities in response to three simple questions that formed the research problem: How is the office of vice-chancellor defined? Who are the occupants of this office? What do vice-chancellors do? The study focussed on the office and role of vice-chancellor in the period 1963 to 1986 and not upon individual incumbents. Most of the research reported relates to the years 1983-86, before the changes to Australian higher education inaugurated in 1988.