A new Policy Note published by the Higher Education Policy Institute, Thirty years on: Leadership convergence between newer and older universities (HEPI Policy Note 37) by Rohan Selva-Radov, explores the changing tenure of UK university vice-chancellors.
The report shows that while the vice-chancellors of post-1992 universities used to serve much longer terms than those at older universities, tenures at both types of university are now around eight years.
In the five years from 1992, immediately after the Further and Higher Education Act (1992) granted university status to polytechnics as well as Central Institutions in Scotland, these institutions’ leaders were in post for on average of 11.5 years. This compared with only 8.8 years at older universities (a gap of around 25%). The disparity has narrowed in the years since, and there is now only a small difference in tenure between the two categories of institution.
