Rector Totally Explained

Everything about Rector totally explained

The word rector ("ruler," from the Latin regere) has a number of different meanings, but all of them indicate someone who is in charge of something.
The word "rector" also appears in many modern languages, such as Dutch and Spanish. In Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, German, Hungarian, Hebrew, Icelandic, Norwegian, Croatian, Serbian, Swedish, Polish, Indonesian and Tagalog, the homophonous spelling is Rektor; other languages use derived forms, for example Rettore in Italian, Reitor in Portuguese and Rehtori in Finnish.
The term and office of a rector are called rectorate. Rector is also a surname in English speaking countries.

Academic rectors

The Rector is the highest academic official of many universities and certain other institutions of higher, sometimes even secondary, education.
The title is used widely in universities across Europe, including Albania, the Benelux, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scandinavia, Scotland, Serbia, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine. It is also very common in Latin American countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela, and also in Philippines and Israel. At some universities it's phrased in a loftier manner, as Rector Magnificus or Lord Rector.
A notable exception to this terminology was England, where universities were traditionally headed by a "Chancellor", and this designation followed in the Commonwealth, USA and other countries under Anglo-Saxon influence. Scotland follows suit in this practice, with the ancient universities being headed by a Chancellor, with the Lord Rector as an elected representative of students heading the university court.

Scotland

In Scotland, the position of Rector exists in the four ancient universities (St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh) and at Dundee.
   The post (officially Lord Rector, but by normal use Rector alone) was made an integral part of these universities by the Universities (Scotland) Act 1889. The nominal head of an ancient university in Scotland is its Chancellor and the day-to-day functions of the chief executive is vested in the Vice-Chancellor who also holds the title of Principal. The Rector is the third ranked official of university governance and chairs meetings of the University Court, the governing body of the university, and is elected at regular intervals (usually three years to enable every undergraduate completing a degree to vote at least once) by their matriculated student bodies.
   This role is considered by many students to be integral to their ability to shape the universities' agendas and it's one of the main functions of the Rector to represent the interests of the students. To some extent the office has evolved into more of a figurehead role, with a significant number of celebrities elected as Rectors, such as 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, however the Rector nominates another individual (usually a student) to exercise his functions under the title of Rector's Assessor. Gordon Brown, the current 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 forbid currently matriculated students from standing for election.
   The head teacher of a Scottish secondary school is in many cases known as its Rector.

England

At Oxford and Cambridge, English universities which are formally headed by chancellors, most colleges are headed by a master or a principal as chief academic. At a few colleges, this role is instead played by a president or a warden; and at two of the Oxford colleges - Lincoln College and Exeter College - the head is called a rector. At the University of London there's a Chancellor (a formal post) and a Vice-Chancellor (equivalent to Managing Director). All colleges have a chief academic as head, under various titles. At University College London, the head is the Provost; at King's College London the head is the Principal; at Imperial College London the head is the Rector; and at the London School of Economics the Director is head.
At most other universities in England the Chancellor is the formal head whilst the Vice-Chancellor is the chief academic. The Vice-Chancellor of Liverpool Hope University also takes the role of Rector.

Iceland

A rektor is the headmaster or headmistress of Icelandic Universities and of some Gymnasiums.

Denmark

A Rektor' is in Denmark the title of the head, of Gymnasiums`; Seminars, Universities, schools for Trade and Construction etc. Generally the Head of any education after the Primary School, where the head oftently is referred to as 'Skoleinspektør' (Headmaster; Inspector of the school)
Norway
A rektor is the headmaster of a primary school, secondary school, private school, high school, college or university.
Sweden
Rektor is the title for the highest ranked administrative and educational leader for an academic institution, for example a primary school, secondary school, private school, high school, college or university. The rektor in state-run colleges and universities are appointed by the government. The vice of a rektor at a university is called a prorektor and is appointed by the institution's board.
   In the older universities of Uppsala and Lund the rektor is titled rector magnificus, or rectrix magnifica (feminine). Younger universities have in later years started using the latin honorary title in formal situations such as honorary speeches or graduation ceremonies.
The European continent
The head of German universities is called rector magnificus, as in some Belgian universities (notably the oldest and largest, KULeuven). In Dutch universities the rector magnificus is the most publicly prominent member of the board, responsible for the scientific agenda of the university. The rector is however not the chairman of the board. The chairman has, in practice, the most influence over the ruling of the University.
   In some countries, including Germany, the position of head teacher in a secondary school is also designated as Rector, however, the position of head teacher in a German Gymnasium school is called Studiendirektor or Oberstudiendirektor. In the Netherlands (aside from Dutch-speaking Flanders), Rector and Conrector (assistant head) is used commonly for high school director. The same goes for some Maltese secondary schools.
   In the Scandinavian countries, the head of universities and gymnasiums (upper secondary schools) is called rektor. In Norway this also applies to primary schools.
   In Spain, the head or president of a university is also titled Rector Magnífico, and is usually styled, in official ceremonies, with the denomination of "Most Excellent and Illoustrious Sir or Lord (Señor)." For example, the Rector of the University of Navarra is usually styled under academic protocol as Excelentísimo e Ilustrísimo Señor Profesor Doctor Don Ángel José Gómez-Montoro, Rector Magnífico de la Universidad de Navarra ("The Most Excellent and Most Illustrious Lord Professor Doctor Don Ángel José Gómez-Montoro, Rector Magnificus of the University of Navarra").
Eastern Europe
Rector is the head of most universities and other higher educational institutions in at least parts of Eastern Europe, such as Russia, Poland and Romania. The rector's deputies are known as prorectors.
The United States
Most U.S. colleges use the titles 'president' for the chief executive of the college and 'chairman of the board of trustees' for the head of the body that legally "owns" the college. The terms "president" and "chancellor" are used for the chief executive of some universities and university systems, depending on the school's own statutes (some state university systems have both presidents of constituent colleges and a chancellor of the overall system, or vice versa). However, there are several notable exceptions: the University of Virginia, Virginia State University (Petersburg, Virginia), Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, Virginia), Washington and Lee University (Lexington, Virginia), the College of William and Mary (Williamsburg, Virginia) and Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Virginia) use the term "Rector" to designate the head of the Board of Visitors; however, William and Mary also has a "Chancellor" who acts in a ceremonial capacity.
   Several Catholic colleges and universities, particularly those run by religious orders of priests (for instance, the Jesuits) formerly employed the term "rector" to refer to the school's chief officer. In many cases, he was also the head of the community of priests assigned to the school, and so the two posts -- head of the university and local superior of the priests -- were merged in his person (See Ecclesiastical rectors below). This practice is no longer followed as the details of the governance of most of these schools have changed.
Canada
Like most Commonwealth and "Anglo-Saxon"-influenced countries, the term "rector" is uncommon.
   However, in Quebec's Universities, both francophone (for example, Université de Montréal) and anglophone (for example, Concordia University), employ the term ("recteur" in French) to designate the head of the institution. As well, the historically French-Catholic, and currently bilingual University, Saint Paul University in Ottawa Ontario uses the term to denote its head. Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario) is the only anglophone post-secondary institution outside Quebec to use the term "rector". However, the term applies to a member of the student body elected to work as an equal beside the Chancellor and Principal. Queen's currently has Leora Jackson as its 31st Rector.
India
The heads of certain Indian Boarding schools are called Rectors.
Italy
In Italy the rector is the head of the university and Legale Rappresentante of the university he or she's elected by an electoral body composed of all Professori ordinari and Associati the two highest ranks of the Italian university teacher and a representatives of Ricercatori (a lowest rank of teachers) and workers of the university. The term of the rettore usually is long 4 or 5 years following the statuto (constitution of the university ). The rettore is also named Magnifico Rettore
Philippines
The term Rector or Rector Magnificus is used to refer to the highest official in prominent Catholic universities and colleges such as the University of Santo Tomas and San Beda College. The rector typically sits as chairman of the university board of trustees. He exercises policy-making as well as general academic, managerial, and religious functions over all university academic and non-academic staff.
   In the University of Santo Tomas, the highest individual academic award conferred on a graduating college student is the Rector's Award for Academic Excellence.
   Rev. Fr. Anscar J. Chupungco, OSB, a world-renowned liturgist and theologian, served as the twentieth rector-president of San Beda College. Prior to this, he was former rector-magnificus of the Pontifical Liturgical Institute and the Pontifical Ateneo d' San't Anselmo both in Rome. ==
Further Information
Get more info on 'Rector'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://rector.totallyexplained.com">Rector Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
   As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.