Our governance

Explore our governing documents, which set out our objectives, powers and who exercises our functions.

Governance documents

The University is an exempt charity incorporated by Royal Charter in 1961. The Charter is the University’s primary governing document and sets out the institution’s charitable purpose and objectives. The Charter, Statutes and Regulations form the University’s governing documents.

The governing documents set out the University’s objectives, its powers and who has the power to exercise its functions. In line with the Office for Students’ Regulatory Framework, the University’s governing documents uphold the public interest governance principles.

Charter

The Charter [DOC 48KB] is the legal document that created the University of Sussex in August 1961.

Statutes

The Statutes [PDF 89KB] provide additional information on the University’s fundamental governance structures and constitutional procedures.

The Charter and Statutes are approved by the Privy Council.

Regulations

The Regulations are internal documents which provide further information about the role and responsibilities of Council, Senate and of University Officers. They also set out specific processes and procedures used to govern the University.

Schedule of Delegation

The Schedule of Delegations [PDF 174KB] summarises the specific delegations detailed within the Charter, Statutes and Regulations.

Conferment of Degrees

The Conferment of Degrees [PDF 67KB] sets out which University Officers and Senior Executives have delegated authority to confer degrees.

Public Interest Governance Principles

As a registered Higher Education provider, the University of Sussex is required to reflect and uphold the public interest governance principles. The University is committed to actively upholding the Public Interest Principles [PDF 102KB].

Academic Freedom and Freedom of Speech

The University has a foundational commitment to Academic Freedom and Freedom of Speech, which are two of the public interest governance principles. A detailed statement on the University’s commitment to academic freedom and freedom of speech can be found here.