University Council officers re-elected

13 December 2006

University Council officers re-elected

The Council of Victoria University of Wellington this week re-elected its two leading officers for a further year.

The Council on Monday re-elected Emeritus Professor Tim Beaglehole as Chancellor and Ian McKinnon as Pro Chancellor for their third terms as its two leading officers, effective from 1 January 2007.

The Chancellor chairs the University Council, has a casting vote on tied issues and is responsible for providing leadership to Council in the execution of its governance responsibilities. As the University's ceremonial head, the Chancellor also presides at graduation ceremonies and, on behalf of the Council, confers degrees. The Pro Chancellor is the Council's deputy chairperson and deputises for the Chancellor when required.

Emeritus Professor Beaglehole, who has Master of Arts degrees from the University of New Zealand and Cambridge University and a PhD from Cambridge, has had a long association with Victoria University as a student and member of the staff. He was a staff representative on the Victoria University Council, 1968-71 and 1982, and since 1999, has been a representative of alumni on the Council.

Emeritus Professor Beaglehole was a staff member of the former History Department, Warden of Weir House, Dean of Arts, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor and is a life member of the Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association. He has recently published a monumental biography of his father and distinguished New Zealand historian, John Cawte Beaglehole, A Life of J.C. Beaglehole: New Zealand Scholar.

Ian McKinnon was a student at Victoria in the 1960s, graduating with a BCom in Economics. He also served on the Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association Executive, becoming Men's Vice-President in 1966.

Mr McKinnon's career has been in the independent school sector. He first taught at King's College in Auckland, where he was also a boarding housemaster, and then at Eton College in the UK, where he subsequently returned as Lower Master in 1988. He was Headmaster of Wanganui Collegiate School (1980–1988) and of Scots College (1992-2002). During his time in the school sector he served on various government committees on education and also on both the Executive of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools, of which he was President (1998-2000), and the Executive of the Independent Schools Council.

Mr McKinnon was the last Chairman of the Council of the Wellington College of Education, which merged with Victoria University on 1 January 2005. He is a Justice of the Peace. In 2004, he was elected to the Wellington City Council.

ENDS

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