'°""""'of o. ,, ,_.,••• 11twt I ~ J I NwtNH J I ~ l<IDI The Role of a Vice Chancellor In a University In Upnda JOS5y R. Blbangambah' BWtcpS1wrr Unl\mlry Thu amd.. dncuucs w role of a \ri«' Ow>edlol m 1 \1111\ustl)\ The' arudC' hoghligho the' rupon11b<IJ11C'S of a O>Kf Excc:um" W>dcly aQQtp1cd rn M•n~nt Scitnce, CC'lt&Jn pcculianucs of a job of a Yicc-ChanQcllor and the cxprrkncot of the author in a priv111c univcnil)• - Biihop Sruart Uni"cnicy. The article ooncludot that for any chief cxccutn'C it 11 important 10 ha'" a sense of purpose and ronmbuoon (1cgacy). Thu is powble 1f one accrpu that hW1W1 OC'cdi and capec>IJC'S ba\'C to be complemented by four C'UCl'ICW endowmctl11, namc1y: sclf-a,.ilttftCSs, conscicooe, 1ndcpc:ndem will. and ettadvc iimgination, Introduction This article prcscn1S a rcflcci.ion, from a oocmath'C pcnpcccivc, on what the role and responsibilities of a \Ike Chanccllor in a univcrsil)• ought 10 be. h is based on my accumubtcd knowledge and experience of what the tasks of managing or administering a uru''Cl'Sity arc and what the necessary capacities and competencies (i.e. work-related knowledge, skills and abilities) ought tO be, given the complexities. dynamics and compcririvcocss of the modem ..'Odd. The role of a vice Chancellor in a university ln Uganda and other Commonwealth countries, the admillistrative :tnd academic head of a univcrsit)' carries rhc title of 'Vice Chancel lot'. The ~bridgl /111,,.,,alio#al Dktio1t11ry of E.11f.lilh define$ the ,.'Ord Vice· 2 f>totatot }ottr R. BibHpnMh • 1 0..•c•if• Mr Ecuo:: ·Md \ ,,-a OanccA:w. 8uhop 5-1 u.........,.. Bishop Stuart University Our God Reigns Th< Roi< of 0 Vice Cllot>«llor I• 0 U,,,..rs/ry I• U~•do 19 Chancellor as 'the person in charge of a British college or university'. The same dictionary defines it also as 'the person in charge of some pans of a college or university in the US'. In some universities, the head carries the title 'President', commonly in the US or 'Rector' as is the case of the Islamic University in Uganda (IUTU). The Vice Chancellor of a university is the Chlef Executive Officer (CEO) of the enterprise or o rga.nisation. He is the equivalent of the Managing Director in a business organisation in the sense chat he is the link between the formation/ formulation/ planning of policy and ils execution/ implcmentlltion by managemem/ administration. In the principles of m:tnagement science the Chief Executive Officer is chargal with the following responsibilities: (a) Ensuring tlut the go,·crning Board of Directors receives accurate, timely and clear information in order to enable the Board to take informed decisions. (b) Overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of the business of the organisation, i.e. General Manager. (c) Responsibility for developing me organisation's Strategic direction for recommendation to the governing Board and for implementing the agreal strategy. (d) Ensuring that annual budgets reflect the agreed stntcgy for the organisation. (e) Responsibility for implementation and delivery of the annual budget and the effective leadership and performance of the executive team. (I) Ensuring the identification, enhancement and dc\'Clopment of the e.-.:ecutivc leadership ralenc pool to ensure that the o rganisation is well positioned to achlevc its strategic objecti,·cs. Bishop Stuart University Our God Reigns 00 Ensuring that the organisation's nratcgics, plans and developments are effccti"cly communicated to shareholders (I.e. owners) and key stakeholders. (h) Encour.aging a cul!Ure which upholds the highest standards of intcgnry and probity. (i) Maintaining effective communication "';th key stakeholde.rs, including go\'crnmems, and ensuring that the Board of Directors is kept informed of dei.'Clopmcnts tn this area. (j) Ensuring :an effective \\-orking rcbtionship with the chairperson and the Board of Directors by meeting and communicating with the chairperson on a regular basis to review key developments, issues, opponunities and concerns. As a Chief Executn'C Officer, the Vtc:e O.=llor has the same rcspon!lbilitics as those listed •hove. Ho-.-,,.-er, the 1ob has coert:>in peculiarities. Firstly, as poimetl our by Amrik Singh, in his book en titled A1ki11g for TroKblt: ll"ho1ii11m1111lobe11 Vi" Chonttllor to-~ (1995), the line of :authority is not :as clc:2r :as it is in other 01g2nisations. The Vice Ch:tncdlor m:ay be the exttuch-e and :academic hc:ad of a wm·ersiry, but chat does not mc:in that be/ she exercises executive power in the same way as the executive heads of mhcr orga11isntlons do. This is largely because the Vice Chancellor docs not issue orders which arc canicd out by others. \'t'b:acC\-cr he/ she does h:as to be appro,·ed either b)· his/her ac:adcmic coUc:agucs o r by the SQ'"Ctnmcnt (or b)· the proprietors, in the case of pri,•:nc unh-ersities) who appointed him/ her. The goodwill as well as the concurrence of both is almost im'llriably required. The recent experiences at Makcrere University (Ugand:i) and Oxford Uni,-ersity (UK) illustrate this point ,.cry wcll. Sccoodly, an imponderable faetor tn the university situ2tion is the srudems. /\s Amrik Singh points o ut, students c:annot be managed in the same way as industrial workers. Students have ~ will of their Bishop Stuart University Our God Reigns TM Rak of a VK~ Chonc~flol H't o un;wrsiry In t.f9ando 21 own. They hold opinions and sometimes much too strongly for d1c comfort of those who have to deal with them. In any case they arc nor accustomed ro obeying orders. The)', too, rhus have robe a willing pany to "'iut gers done in the unh-crsiry. Again the experiences of i\lakerere and Krambogo Universities in Ugand:a. where the imroducrion of reforms has met stiff resistance from boch staff and srudeocs, are a good tesrimony to this. All this makes the working of a university infinitely more complex than that of an)' other instirution. Thirdly. the ropmosc concern in the management of education:il instirutions, especially universities, is establishing, prcscn-ing and ensuring high academic standards. This calls for nor only serious commitment to quality in all che fundamental processes - admissions, staff recruitment, teaching. cxamiruitions and research - bur also <iourage and stamina to stand up for academic and moral values. Bishop Stuart University's experience with the principles relating to the work and responsibilities of the Chief Executive Officer 'The governance or management of Bishop Sruar1 Universicy is guided by a Uni,·crsil}' Go,·crnance Charter (i.e. Consrirution or E110-.mJmn1ho in Runr:mkorc/ Rukiga) which is made by or wi1h chc appro,..i of the University's Bo:trd of Trustees. In the Bishop Sruan University Charter, Section V, en tided 'Officers of the University', Sub-section 19, it is provided that 'The Vkc Chancellor shall be 1he chief academic, linancial and administrative officer and will be 1hc Acoounting Officer of the Universil)I. The contract for the Vice Chancellor translates 1his broad statement of the Vice Chancellor's role in10 speci6c duties and responsibilities, spelt our as follows: (i) Being chief executive for Academic, Administrative, Financial and Public Relations Affairs of the Universiiy. Bishop Stuart University Our God Reigns (u) Being 1he cfuttt link of lhc University with lhe Govemmcot. Academic Institutions (Pri,>alc and Public) wi1hin and outside Ug2llda. (w) Ovcrstting Policy Formubtion, Planning and lmplcmenration. (iv) In the 2bscnce of 1hc ChanccJlor, presiding at lhe ceremonial assemblies of the University and conferring degrees and other ac2dcmic titles and distinctions of lhe University. (v) C:arrying out any olhcr duti.cs and responsibilities lh21 may be alloa11cd to him/ her by the University Council. Unlike lhe public universities, makers of the Bishop StUMl University govcmIDg Charter held lh2t financial resources :arc lhc 'bean' of any organisation in modem «onornics and that, therefore, a chief financial officer who is not an accounting officer is toothless. Makcrerc University's financial ~t problems originate from this fundamental deficiency. Being an accounting officer does not prevent the use of other cona:ol.lcrs or managers below the C!Uef Executive as long as their limit> of wntrol arc well-defined and !he Chief Executive rc1ains 1.he ultimate authority. Besides the administration/ management of the univcnity's finances, financial resource mobilisation is also a key responsibility th.at the Chief Executive Officer should share with the proprietors and the cfu«tors. Fundnising is actually one of the o~tional functions. As an coonomist, l canno1 end this article without referring to the 'optimisation principle' and !he need for a Vice Chancellor to be llll optimiser. He/ she needs to be aware of the dichotomy tha1 often :arises belWCen the interests of proprietors/institution (such as its surviwl, growth and developmem) on one hand and the interests, needs and demands of staff and srudenrs on the other. He/ she also needs to be consrantly aware of the possible implications and Bishop Stuart University Our God Reigns ,,,. - of o v~ Otoncrio<"' o VnlWnilY 1n tJgQ>dD 23 coosequenccs of his/ her decisions and actions as some of these will be positive and others negative. Conclusion For the Vice-ChanceUor and for any other Otief Executive Officer, ha;-ing the necessary competences, knowing the principles of management and having the physical capacities or abilities to think and get things done arc important needs. Particularly important is the need to have a sense of purpose and connibution. This is also caUed the need to leave a legacy.