Editing Trinity College Dublin (section)

==== Provost ====
The Provost serves a ten-year term and is elected by a body of electors consisting essentially of all full-time academic staff and a very small number of students.<ref name=":5" />{{rp|53}} Originally the Provost was appointed for life. While the Provost was elected by the Fellows at the start, the appointment soon became a [[The Crown|Crown]] one, reflecting the growing importance of the college and of the office of provost, which became both prestigious and well-paid.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} But as time passed, it became customary that the appointments were only made after taking soundings of college opinion, which meant mostly the views of the Board.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} 

With the establishment of the Free State in 1922, the power of appointment were passed to the Irish Government. It was agreed that when a vacancy occurred the college would provide a list of three candidates to the Government, from which the choice would be made. The college was allowed to rank the candidates in order of preference, and in practice, the most preferred candidate was always appointed.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} Now the Provost, while still formally appointed by the Government, is elected by staff plus student representatives, who gather in an electoral meeting and vote by exhaustive ballot until a candidate obtains an absolute majority; the process takes a day.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

The Provost takes precedence over everyone else in the college, acts as the chief executive and accounting officer and chairs the board and council. The Provost also enjoys a special status in the University of Dublin.<ref name=":5" />{{rp|46}}