Chancellor

Chancellor is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the audience. A chancellor's office is called a chancellery or chancery. The word is now used in the titles of many various officers in various settings (government, education, religion). Nowadays the term is most often used to describe:

• The head of the government
• A person in charge of foreign affairs
• A person with duties related to justice
• A person in charge of financial and economic matters
• The head of a university

Chancellor in Government

In many countries, the executive branch of government is referred to as the Chancellery and the head of this branch is known as the Chancellor. Examples include Germany where the head of the government is the Federal Chancellor, and Austria where the Chancellor of Austria is the head of government.

Chancellor in Education

In the realm of education, a Chancellor is the head of a university or a university system. In the United States, a Chancellor is typically the chief executive officer of a campus or system in a public university, while in the United Kingdom, the Chancellor is usually a ceremonial head, with the day-to-day leadership of the university in the hands of the Vice-Chancellor.

Chancellor in Religion

In the Roman Catholic Church, a Chancellor is a senior administrative officer who often has authority over the seal and official documents of the diocese. In the Anglican Communion, the Chancellor is a legal officer who advises the bishop and, in many dioceses, has authority to rule on questions of church law.

See Also

• Prime Minister
• President
• Governor
• Mayor