When the presenting problem isn’t the problem: The ‘vital signs’ of organisational health

Incoming Vice Chancellors (VCs)- who are also Chief Executive Officers in the UK – face a chorus of voices jockeying for position, stakes and interest.  It is sometimes also the case that the university has run into difficulty, for example with student outcomes, research, or financial metrics and these may be among the reasons a new VC has been appointed, to lead that organisation to a better place. The role of the Vice Chancellor is significantly different, wider, and deeper in span from that of Provost or Deputy VC.