Place false statement before head of university (4)
I believe the answer is:
lieu
'place' is the definition.
('lieu' can be a synonym of 'place')
'false statement before head of university' is the wordplay.
'false statement' becomes 'lie' (lie is a kind of false statement**).
'before' says to put letters next to each other.
'head of' suggests taking the first letters.
The initial letter of 'university' is 'u'.
'lie'+'u'='LIEU'
(Other definitions for lieu that I've seen before include "Stead - place" , "The substitute" , "Place - position" , "In - of means instead of" , "In ... of; in exchange for" .)