The Path to Becoming a Vice-Chancellor

'The Path to Becoming Vice-Chancellor' is aimed at supporting the professional development of senior business school faculty aspiring to senior management positions in universities.

In this report we assess the representation of business school faculty among UK Vice-Chancellors, and evaluate how business school Deans can overcome barriers and promote their strengths to work towards a Vice-Chancellor role.

When we consider the size and impact of business schools in their own institutions, business school Deans will often have experience that make them suitable for Vice-Chancellorship. Our report finds that 6% of current Vice-Chancellors have a teaching or research background in business and management. The proportion is 8% if we include those who do not have a teaching or research background in business and management, but who have been a business school Dean. Vice-Chancellors with backgrounds in the sciences, social studies, engineering and medicine (including subjects allied to medicine) account for 55% of the total.

We investigate why this might be the case and identify factors that business school Deans might want to address. With these factors in mind, the report outlines some of the strengths business school Deans have that might make them suitable for the position and suggest three points of action to help Deans act on these strengths to develop towards the role.

You can read the report here.