Dean vs rector

In its report on university problems on May 16, The Jakarta Post seems to have confused the term "dean" with "rector" in referring to a position at the Atma Jaya Catholic University.

Dean (dekan in Bahasa Indonesia, coming from the Latin decanus "ten") is the head of a unit in a university. It means also the most senior foreign ambassador or head of the diplomatic corps in a country. Rector (coming from the Latin regere "to direct") is the university head.

Various terms are used around the world to denote the highest administrator in a university, which understandably leads to confusion. The term rector is used in Germany, and many countries in Europe and Latin America. In the Netherlands, they use rector magnificus for the highest academic administrator (besides two other administrators on the university board).

In France, the term for this post at state universities is "president"; the term recteur is used by Catholic universities -- and for the head of regional educational affairs in the country as well.

Universities in the United States use the term "president". In Commonwealth countries "vice chancellor" is used (in Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam the term naib canselor is the official translation).

The term rektor rather than presiden universitas was introduced in the 1960s by the coordinating minister for social welfare under the late president Sukarno, Muljadi Djojomartono. Indonesian-Catholics have been familiar with this term in the sense of "head of a seminary".

I would suggest that the Post choose either "president" or "vice-chancellor or "rector" to denote a university CEO in general. To refer to the head of a university in a specific country the official English term may be used.

HARIMURTI KRIDALAKSANA

Faculty of Humanities
University of Indonesia

Note: Thank you for your suggestions.

--Editor