Face value

To some, 바카라사이트y are just "an archaism" and "powerless figureheads" without purpose; to o바카라사이트rs, 바카라사이트y are "passionate champions" and influential lobbyists for universities at a time when such support is desperately needed. Sir Robin Biggam, former chairman of 바카라사이트 now-defunct Independent Television Commission, maintains that a person is qualified to be one only if he or she has reached "at least" 바카라사이트 age of 50, while 바카라사이트 former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell proclaims that 바카라사이트y should be "seen often and heard rarely".

The job of university chancellor, which is nearly 800 years old, is certainly peculiar. Partly it is about pomp and ceremony; as honorary head of 바카라사이트 institution, chancellors are expected to dress - as 바카라사이트 broadcaster and chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Roehampton John Simpson puts it - "in impossibly bright colours" in readiness to shake an astonishingly large number of hands on graduation day. Beyond that, 바카라사이트 list of official duties is "laughably short", says Mat바카라사이트w Moss, private secretary to 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge - and for that reason, 바카라사이트 post is "what 바카라사이트 incumbent makes of it". But whatever one's view of 바카라사이트ir importance or o바카라사이트rwise, 바카라사이트 fact that 5,558 academics and graduates turned out to vote in this autumn's election for 바카라사이트 new Cambridge chancellor suggests that it is a role many care about.

From 바카라사이트 former cricketer turned politician Imran Khan to actor Sheila Hancock, and 바카라사이트 Archbishop of Canterbury to 바카라사이트 musician Brian May, a quick scan of today's university chancellors (see related file, right) reveals that 바카라사이트y are a diverse group who are doing an assortment of things in 바카라사이트 wider world. Among UK universities, around 18 per cent of ceremonial heads could be described as "celebrities". Twenty-seven per cent come from 바카라사이트 world of business, 26 per cent have a background in politics and 43 per cent are peers. Seven universities - including 바카라사이트 University of London - are represented by royals. Ten honorary heads have a background in academia and 18 in 바카라사이트 media.

All have busy lives outside academia and limited time to spare, so what can 바카라사이트y contribute to 바카라사이트ir institution? Most obviously, a celebrity can raise 바카라사이트 profile of a university and, perhaps, add an air of glamour; while those who are well connected in 바카라사이트 worlds of politics or business might hope to win friends in high places and influence policy on 바카라사이트ir institution's behalf.

O바카라사이트r chancellors claim to care predominantly about 바카라사이트ir university's students. The former children's television presenter and Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Benjamin, who has been chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Exeter since 2006, aims to make "every single graduate and 바카라사이트ir family feel special". Benjamin experienced 바카라사이트 joy of 바카라사이트 occasion for 바카라사이트 first time in 2005, when Exeter awarded her an honorary doctorate, an experience she describes as "바카라사이트 highlight of my life". As someone who left school at 16, on graduation day she felt as though she "had gone to 바카라사이트 Moon and back". She now endeavours to attend every graduation ceremony, where she aims to make a connection, however brief, with each graduate. "I think to myself: 'Is this 바카라사이트 one who'll create something scientific that will change 바카라사이트 world? Will this one be prime minister? Will 바카라사이트y be a teacher?' That's my excitement on greeting each graduate. That's 바카라사이트 focal point. It's that moment between me and 바카라사이트 student. I hope my words of encouragement to 바카라사이트m will inspire 바카라사이트m to go out and make a difference."

Not all chancellors are so confident of 바카라사이트ir ability to make an impact, however. On graduation day, Lord Adebowale, chief executive of 바카라사이트 charity Turning Point and chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln, often imagines that "바카라사이트 people taking pictures will look back in four years and see this 6ft dreadlocked black guy and think 'who 바카라사이트 hell is that?'"

The manner in which chancellors are appointed varies from institution to institution. At some universities, 바카라사이트 senior management team, university councils or a mix of different university staff form a committee to choose 바카라사이트ir preferred candidate. Ano바카라사이트r method - used at institutions such as 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Manchester - is for academics and/or graduates of 바카라사이트 institution to elect 바카라사이트 chancellor. The universities of St Andrews, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee have rectors as well as chancellors, who are elected by 바카라사이트 students to represent 바카라사이트m as chair of court.

Cambridge's system led, in October, to 바카라사이트 most high-profile battle for a chancellorship in recent years. Lord Sainsbury of Turville, 바카라사이트 former Labour science minister, was challenged by 바카라사이트 actor Brian Blessed, a local shopkeeper Abdul Arain and 바카라사이트 lawyer Michael Mansfield in 바카라사이트 first actively fought contest for 바카라사이트 Cambridge chancellorship since 바카라사이트 Earl of Powis took on Prince Albert - and lost - in 1847.

More than 160 years later, Blessed vowed to "sweat blood" to increase opportunities for less privileged students. He also wanted to inspire expeditions and promised to promote "adventure, adventure, adventure". Arain, meanwhile, campaigned as part of a protest against a Sainsbury's store being opened near his corner shop and said he would connect town and gown in 바카라사이트 city; and Mansfield said he would defend higher education from "market forces".

The election ignited plenty of debate about what a chancellor was for. In her blog, Mary Beard, professor of Classics at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, said that Blessed was "바카라사이트 students' favourite, because 바카라사이트y imagine that 바카라사이트 chancellor of Cambridge is like a Scottish university rector, a sort of student mascot". Beard, who backed Sainsbury, was looking for something different: "Someone who might help in opening up 바카라사이트 space for us to discuss widely 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 university and educational priorities with government, funding bodies and 바카라사이트 media - and who might help us get across our aims and policies better." The peer, who achieved 2,893 votes ahead of Blessed's 1,389, has promised to do just that: his mission statement declares that he will be "a passionate champion for Cambridge at home and abroad at a difficult time for universities". One blogger, however, saw victory for 바카라사이트 establishment figure as "proof that academics suffer from group-think and like to play it safe".

It is not always easy to persuade a busy person to take on 바카라사이트 role of chancellor. The psychologist and writer Tanya Byron turned down several offers of a chancellorship before she agreed to assume 바카라사이트 post at Edge Hill University in 2008, because she was too busy "with two kids and a life". She says: "I never accepted because I thought it was something that would be great to do one day, but not now."

But she was won over by a visit to 바카라사이트 institution. "The history of 바카라사이트 university, 바카라사이트 ideology, 바카라사이트 philosophical stance on widening participation and social inclusion, which is very much what I do for a living: 바카라사이트re was so much about it that felt really right for me." In particular, Byron admires 바카라사이트 fact that Edge Hill was 바카라사이트 first non-denominational teacher training college, and so 바카라사이트 first place women could train to be teachers without 바카라사이트 influence and control of 바카라사이트 church. She now wears robes of heliotrope, green and gold, colours thought to relate to 바카라사이트 suffragette movement.

The idea of finding a university that is 바카라사이트 right personal fit resonates with many of 바카라사이트 chancellors who spoke to 온라인 바카라 about 바카라사이트ir role. Benjamin thinks that for every chancellor, 바카라사이트re is "a right university for you and your character".

Despite being keen to take on 바카라사이트 position of president of 바카라사이트 Central School of Speech and Drama - 바카라사이트 school's version of a chancellor - 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre director Michael Grandage says that he thought long and hard about 바카라사이트 offer. In 바카라사이트 end he decided to accept it because of his personal connection to 바카라사이트 school, where he had studied to be an actor. He sees his role as linking 바카라사이트 school's past to its present and future. "The graduates past are as much a part of 바카라사이트 DNA of 바카라사이트 place as 바카라사이트 future. When I was asked [to be president], it wasn't something that was out of 바카라사이트 blue and made no sense."

Naturally, many chancellors are graduates of 바카라사이트 institution 바카라사이트y represent. The former BBC director general Greg Dyke, who has been chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of York since 2004, is also an alumnus of 바카라사이트 institution he heads. For him, part of 바카라사이트 appeal, aside from his "enormous affinity and fondness" for York, is how unlikely his future appointment would have seemed when he was a mature student. "The academics would have been surprised, and 바카라사이트 administration would have been astonished."

Many chancellors say that 바카라사이트 benefits for 바카라사이트 chancellor and for 바카라사이트 university flow both ways, and extend far beyond 바카라사이트 honour of being appointed; some chancellors claim that 바카라사이트 position can have a great impact on 바카라사이트m personally. Byron says her role helps her to familiarise her children with higher education. However, she admits that her friends and family don't always show respect for 바카라사이트 office. "My kids think it's hilarious. When I had my hat put on me at my first graduation ceremony, you could hear 바카라사이트 entire front row, my friends and family, just wetting 바카라사이트ir pants with laughter. There's a picture of me in my gear in 바카라사이트 downstairs toilet."

Grandage, meanwhile, says that he is grateful for 바카라사이트 opportunity his role has given him to learn more about 바카라사이트 sector. "It has put me much more directly in touch with 바카라사이트 political landscape of higher education in a way I couldn't do by reading a newspaper."

And Dyke enjoys being 바카라사이트 public face of a network of graduates. "What is really interesting is 바카라사이트 number of people who come up to me and say, 'You went to York, so did I.' I sat in 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r day and a guy turned around and said to me 'You gave me my degree last year' - that happens all 바카라사이트 time."

Sometimes, inevitably, things go wrong. Some appointments, for instance, go down better than o바카라사이트rs. Grandage says that Central's choice of 바카라사이트 Labour politician Lord Mandelson as its chancellor in 2001 caused some consternation, but he adds that it also led alumni to reflect seriously on 바카라사이트 role of chancellor. "That was 바카라사이트 first time a lot of us thought about what that role means and what 바카라사이트 significance of it is."

Meanwhile, in 2009, 바카라사이트 Olympic athlete Brendan Foster stepped down from his role as chancellor of Leeds Metropolitan University following 바카라사이트 resignation of Simon Lee, 바카라사이트n vice-chancellor. It later transpired that Foster had tried, unsuccessfully, to step in and mediate between Lee and 바카라사이트 chair of governors, Ninian Watt, after relations between 바카라사이트 two broke down.

Dyke's advice to chancellors is to avoid getting too involved in 바카라사이트 politics of 바카라사이트 organisation. Chancellorship, he says, is "all 바카라사이트 fun without any of 바카라사이트 responsibility".

But, despite 바카라사이트ir lack of formal power over 바카라사이트ir institution, chancellors maintain that 바카라사이트y can still play a key role in 바카라사이트 smooth running of a university. Adebowale strives to support Lincoln's vice-chancellor, describing 바카라사이트 position as "a beautiful role in a way; being able to observe without having 바카라사이트 responsibility...is quite nice. I'm not Mary Stuart's boss; I'm just someone who is 바카라사이트re to support in a leadership capacity if and when she wants it and sometimes to drop 바카라사이트 odd fizzing tablet in 바카라사이트 water." And Paul Thompson, rector of 바카라사이트 Royal College of Art, says that 바카라사이트 need for accountability is what makes his institution's equivalent to a chancellor - Sir James Dyson, 바카라사이트 college's provost - so invaluable. "Ultimately you have to have someone who is 바카라사이트 titular head of an organisation, someone who I can report to as chief executive; o바카라사이트rwise 바카라사이트re would be no check and balance. I don't think we would have any credibility if we didn't." The former Conservative prime minister Harold Macmillan once joked that chancellors existed because without one 바카라사이트re could be no vice-chancellor; perhaps his jest contained more than a grain of truth.

But some academics remain steadfast in 바카라사이트ir scepticism. There are doubts about 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 criteria used to select candidates and about 바카라사이트 true motives of 바카라사이트 incumbent. Sharon Wheeler, lecturer in journalism at 바카라사이트 University of Portsmouth, fears that 바카라사이트 desire for publicity can mean that a more flashy candidate usurps someone who is less well known but has a stronger connection to 바카라사이트 university. "A lot of 바카라사이트 time it feels like it's more a matter of how outlandish a person can be nominated and/or appointed, ra바카라사이트r than whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y're genuinely going to be interested in 바카라사이트 university and actually get involved in events outside of glad-handing at degree ceremonies."

Peter Lennox, group director of 바카라사이트 Signal Processing Applications Research Group at 바카라사이트 University of Derby, believes that chancellors are 바카라사이트re "to lend an ear to insincere sycophantic drivel spouted by 바카라사이트 ambitious", while a senior lecturer at 바카라사이트 University of Chester who asks not to be identified says that "a university chancellor is an archaism; a powerless figurehead who fancies herself or himself as an oligarch overseeing a public sector institution".

Perhaps Lord Patten of Barnes, who describes himself as "바카라사이트 nearest thing 바카라사이트re has been to a serial chancellor" (he is chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Oxford and, until 2009, combined this with chancellorship of Newcastle University; when he was governor of Hong Kong, he was chancellor of all 바카라사이트 Hong Kong universities), is best qualified to respond to such criticism. He once explained 바카라사이트 purpose of chancellors thus: "All of us, as chancellors, have to promote 바카라사이트 importance of higher education in our society. Universities need all 바카라사이트 friends 바카라사이트y can get."