THE rectors of Scotland's five "ancient" universities have called for a similar post to be created at every university in the country.
Only Edinburgh, St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee currently have the elected post of rector, with the incumbent sitting on or chairing meetings of the university court and carrying considerable influence.
But the group has now called for
all Scotland's higher education institutions to introduce such a role. They say the tough financial times mean each university needs a student champion.
Edinburgh University's rector, former Green MSP Mark Ballard, said expanding the role, unique to Scotland in the way the role is carried out, would help highlight funding issues.
Mr Ballard said: "If we are arguing (Scottish] higher education institutions should receive more public money to make sure they can compete effectively with English and Welsh institutions, which are getting tuition fee money, it is only right there's a debate on how to ensure public interest in these discussions.
"Having a rector gives additional voices to students."
In the past, the student body's choice of rector has sometimes proved controversial, with the election of celebrities who have then failed to fulfil their duties.
Charles Kennedy, Glasgow University's rector, lent his backing to expanding the role to every university.
The MP and former Liberal Democrat leader said: "It's a good extension of an independent, democratic principle at the heart of our education system.
"In addition it's an education initiative which would be popular with the students and wouldn't cost anything."
He said the role of rector puts someone directly accountable to and whose authority stems from students into a body which otherwise would have little direct accountability to students.
He added: "Together rectors have a degree of clout that individual (student] presidents may not have, or indeed, given that so many of our big institutions choose not to be in the National Union of Students, that the NUS doesn't enjoy itself."
At Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and St Andrews the rector chairs meetings of the university court the body that decides on the running of the institution.
The power of the role was set out in the Universities Act of 1858, so the Scottish Parliament would have to move to include universities created since then.
Aberdeen University has tried to strip the rector's power by asking the Privy Council, which oversees the governing instruments of UK universities, to remove the automatic right to chair the university's council. However, previous such attempts have been rejected.
NUS Scotland said they had no policy on the issue but did not rule out future discussions.
Andrew Keenan, president of the St Andrews University Students' Association and secretary of the Coalition of Higher Education Students in Scotland also lent his support.
He said: "The rector chairs court which means students … get their issues listened to from the top."
Political statement, good advocate or figurehead?STUDENTS have in the past elected rectors for political reasons.
In the 1980s, Winnie Mandela was elected rector at Glasgow University. Charles Kennedy's predecessor at the same institution was the Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu, who was banned from leaving Israel.
Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, served as rector while a student at his own university, Edinburgh.
Winston Churchill also served at Edinburgh.
However, recent years have seen rectors elected who take a more active role, rather than simply being a figurehead.
However, some other rectorial appointments have been more controversial.Celebrities, including Clarissa Dickson-Wright at Aberdeen University, have been a popular choice with students in less political times.
Some became good advocates for their students, including football commentator Archie Macpherson at Edinburgh, actor Richard Wilson at Glasgow and John Cleese at St Andrews.
But EastEnders actor Ross Kemp was forced to resign by Glasgow University students after they became dissatisfied with his performance and dearth of appearances.
The full article contains 650 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
