Rector

The Lord Rector of the University of St Andrews is the President of University Court, and plays an informal, pastoral role for students. Since 1858, the Rector has been elected by students every 3 years. They are completely independent and external to the University, and represent the student community.

University Court is the highest governing body of the University. It exists to oversee the management of the University, with special emphasis on strategic leadership and accountability. The Principal leads the actual management of the University, but they are accountable to the Court, which comprises senior staff and a majority of unpaid, external, independent 'lay' members, meeting about four times a year. Court is the place where many University issues are decided: budget allocations, financial policies, academic policies, estate development and capital projects, staff and student provisions.

The Rector can open doors and help to release log-jams where the formals mechanisms for resolving issues appear to fail. A Rector with the time, sincerity and commitment to get to know the student body and engage with their issues, and the skills to influence effectively, can make a valuable contribution to the student experience, as well as to the life and reputation of the whole University.

Current Rector

Stella Maris is the current Rector, taking on the role in October 2023.

With her diverse background and unwavering commitment to student welfare, embraces the role of Rector of the University of St Andrews with both empathy and expertise. Born in Nigeria and relocating to England during her formative years, she achieved her MA (Hons) in English and Philosophy at St Andrews in 2023. Throughout her academic journey, Stella served for 2 and a half years as the Rector’s Assessor, delving deep into the intricate workings of St Andrews' unique governance and strategic mechanisms.

As Rector, Stella values her pastoral role, keenly aware of the nuanced position she holds. While her primary duty is to chair the Court, upholding good governance and ensuring the broader interests of the University, she remains firmly rooted in her commitment to student advocacy. Stella champions the student voice, ensuring it is both acknowledged and amplified, working in tandem with student representatives to ensure their concerns resonate within the University Court and beyond.

The role of the Rector, while largely impartial, serves as an essential bridge between the University's broader vision and the aspirations of its student community. In Stella's tenure, this equilibrium is pursued with dedication, fostering a space where student needs harmoniously align with the overarching objectives of the University of St Andrews.

Contact

• rector@
•  @Stella_StAndrewsRector

 

Rector's Assessor

Since 1970, the Rector has appointed a student as Rector's Assessor. This is a voluntary position, responsible for acting as a link between the Rector and the student body. The Assessor also provides aid and advice to the Rector, and sits on the University Court as a full member. The Assessor meets regularly with the Rector to advise on policy issues, discuss upcoming events and campaigns, and ensure the Rector has a coordinated media and web presence in St Andrews.

Find out more about the current Rector's Assessor.

Rector's Fund

The Rector's Fund is a grant scholarship, intended to support students pursuing a summer internship or project motivated by a desire to create positive change. To be eligible for the fund, you must be a matriculated student, and must have accepted an internship offer at the time of your application.

Scholarships are awarded based on financial need and demonstrated commitment to creating positive change.

To apply, go to the Applications tab of MySaint, navigate to Scholarships and Funding, and search for the Rector's Fund. Any questions should be sent to rector@.

The Rector’s Fund is made possible thanks to the generosity of HPM Consultants Ltd and The Lucky Club.

History

Until the mid-19th Century, the Rector had to be a minister of the Church of Scotland. Then, claiming that this was incompatible with their oath to elect a rector ‘of great worth and fame’, the students sought to break the mould by electing Sir Walter Scott in 1825 – an election which was immediately declared null and void.

One of the first rectors to be elected after the 1858 Act was John Stuart Mill, who helped himself to a concept of rector as ‘honorary president’ (more the intended style of the Chancellor’s post).  He made one speech and then disappeared for all of his three year term.

For the rest of the 19th century, many of the rectors were senior politicians from conservative and liberal parties. Then there followed a succession of great public figures, including wealthy benefactors such as the Marquess of Bute and Andrew Carnegie; statesmen like Lord Avebury and the Earl of Rosebery; Field Marshall Haig during the First World War; writers such as J. M. Barrie and Rudyard Kipling in the 1920s; and Jan Christiaan Smuts and Marchese Marconi in the 1930s. These men increasingly adopted the style of Mill, appearing once only in their term as rector.

Installation

The day before the Installation is filled with student-led celebrations under the title of ‘The Drag’. The Rector is ‘delivered’ into town by a novel form of transport, and is then drawn in an ancient carriage, pulled by University Blues, to a series of 12-15 hostelries where student groups, clubs, and societies are deployed to introduce themselves and their activities, buy the Rector a drink, and offer a relevant gift as a memento of the occasion.

The Drag ends with a reception at the Student Union building, followed by a torchlight procession from St Salvator’s Quad to the end of the pier, and indefinite further revelling in the town’s bars.

Previous Rectors

	Name	Years served
1	Sir Ralph Anstruther of Balcaskie, 4th Bt.	1859-1862
2	William Stirling-Maxwell of Keir, MP	1862-1865
3	John Stuart Mill	1865-1868
4	James Anthony Froude	1868-1871
5	Charles, Lord Neaves	1872-1874
6	Arthur Penryhn Stanley, Dean of Westminster	1874-1877
7	Roundell Palmer, Lord Selborne	1877-1880
8	Sir Theodore Martin	1880-1883
9	Donald James Mackay, 11th Lord Reay	1884-1886
10	Arthur James Balfour of Whittinghame	1886-1889
11	Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava	1889-1892
12	John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute	1892-1898
13	James Stuart, MP	1898-1901
14	Andrew Carnegie of Skibo	1901-1907
15	John Lubbock, 1st Lord Avebury	1907-1910
16	Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Roseberry	1910-1913
17	John Campbell Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen	1913-1916
18	Sir Douglas Haig	1916-1919
19	Sir James Matthew Barrie	1919-1922
20	Rudyard Kipling	1922-1925
21	Fridtjof Nansen	1925-1928
22	Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell	1928-1931
23	Jan Christian Smuts	1931-1934
24	Guglielmo Marconi, Marchese Marconi	1934-1937
25	Robert MacGregor Mitchell, Lord MacGregor Mitchell	1937-1938
26	Sir David Munro	1938-1946
27	Sir George Cunningham	1946-1949
28	David George Brownlow Cecil, Lord Burghley	1949-1952
29	David Robert Alexander Lindsay, 28th Earl of Crawford	1952-1955
30	David Patrick Maxwell-Fyfe, 1st Viscount of Kilmuir	1955-1958
31	Robert John Graham Boothby, Lord Boothby	1958-1961
32	Charles Percy Snow, Lord Snow	1961-1964
33	Sir John Knewstub Maurice Rothenstein	1964-1967
34	Sir Learie Constantine, Lord Constantine of Maraval and Nelson	1967-1970
35	John Cleese	1970-1973
36	Alan Coren	1973-1976
37	Frank Muir	1976-1979
38	Tim Brooke-Taylor	1979-1982
39	Katharine Whitehorn	1982-1985
40	Stanley Adams	1985-1988
41	Nicholas Parsons	1988-1991
42	Nicholas Campbell	1991-1993
43	Donald Findlay	1993-1999
44	Andrew Neil	1999-2002
45	Sir Clement Freud	2002-2005
46	Simon Pepper	2005-2008
47	Kevin Dunion	2008-2011
48	Alistair Moffat	2011-2014
49	Catherine Stihler	2014-2017
50	Srdja Popovic	2017-2020
51	Leyla Hussein OBE	2020-2023
51	Stella Maris	2023-Present