CEC2HigherEd

Glossary of Higher Education Terms

The following are some of the terms that you may hear used that are unique to higher education:  

Auxiliary Services or Auxliary:   An auxiliary at a university is a unit that has to generate its own revenue to support itself.   Typical auxiliaries at universities include:

• Student Housing

• Dining Services

• Bookstore

• Parking Services

Chancellor: Some states have University systems--a collection of state colleges and universities.   In such university systems, the President is the head of the system.   The head of the individual colleges or schools that comprise the system typically have the title "Chancellor".   

Development:  At colleges or universities, the term "development", when used as a verb, refers to the fund raising efforts of the university.  When used as a noun, it refers to the department within the University that conducts the universities funding raising effort.   The head of University Development is typically a Vice President and reports directly to the President.

Executive Vice President:  The Executive Vice President at a university is typically the #3 postion in the chain of command, with the President being #1 and the Provost #2.  The Executive Vice President reports to the President (or Chancellor, as applicable).   The following functions typically report to the Executive Vice President: 

• University Finance

• University Human Resources

• Facilities Management

• Auxiliary Services

• Communications and Marketing

• Public Safety

• Risk Management and Safety

Provost: The Provost is the Chief Academic Officer of the university and reports directly to the President or Chancellor.  Typically, he or she is the #2 person in the University chain of command. The Provost often has the second title as the Vice President for Academic Affairs.  The Deans of the colleges and schools within the university report to the Provost.