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To be honest it’s slightly misused in the article, because Beard is from Cambridge, where “don” is less commonly used (or at least was when I was there 20 years ago). It’s more an Oxford word.

Even at Oxford I only ever heard it used humorously.

Aha! Thanks for that.

That may well be in the higher echelons. I never heard about such at universities in Australia, Norway and Denmark.

Is that the same as the term "Dean" that's used elsewhere?

Only time I've seen "Dean" used was for the head of a faculty within a university (a collection of departments in the same field e.g. engineering).

In my Cambridge college there is one 'dean' (not the same as the Master or Mistress of the college - who is essentially the figure-head of the college) - who is responsible for the students welfare. Any member of staff formally associated with the college is a 'fellow'. Each speciality have 'tutors' and 'senior tutors' as well as one 'director of studies'.

Wikipedia says that a 'don' would apply to a 'fellow' or 'tutor'.