HEPI has undertaken a small piece of desk research on the tenure of university leaders over the past half a century.
For a full explanation of the chart below, see the new blog outlining the research on the Times Higher website.
Postscript (added 4th November, 2016): We generally aim to make the raw material for all our research freely available, and the spreadsheet from which all the information on tenure is taken can be accessed here. Please do provide us with any feedback.
Yes, interesting although, as you say, a rather small sample size. I remember writing about it round about 2004 and tenure does seem to be a bit longer now. Perhaps you need to factor in age – some do just retire, after all.
Is there a record naming the first either female or royal woman to become a Chancellor of a UK university, and the date of the appointment? Would it have been the late Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood, Leeds, circa 1951