The Chancellor
Four candidates have been nominated and are standing for election as Chancellor of the University of St Andrews. As per the election rules, their names, photographs, biographies and statements are now available to view online. A list of nominators for each candidate has also been included on the candidate's webpage.
The candidates are:
Voting opens on Monday 16 February and closes at 5pm on Sunday 22 February 2026. Members of the General Council who have registered to vote in this election will receive instructions on how to vote electronically when voting opens.
Details of the requirements of the role, the nomination process, the election rules and code of conduct, and key milestones in the election process can be found in the documents linked below.
The office of the Chancellor has existed since the foundation of the University, although there is no comprehensive definition of the powers of the modern Chancellor. The most authoritative definition comes from the return made by the University to the Commissioners of 1826 which states:
The Chancellor is head of the University. He [sic] is consulted on all public matters relative to its welfare, and he is also Conservator of its privileges. The power of conferring degrees is vested in him: this he may exercise either personally when present or by his depute when absent, with the advice of the doctors and masters of the University.
The Chancellor is the ordinary President of the General Council and appoints an assessor on the University Court.