 The present holder of the position is Jim Spence who succeeded Mark Beaumont in 2019 and was formally installed as Rector in a ceremony held on 9 September 2019.Aside from his official duties to the university, the Rector is charged with the responsibility of representing the students of the University who elect him for a three-year term.The Rector is officially installed in a ceremony soon after his election by the University's Chancellor or, in his place, the Vice-Chancellor.