The University is not a company and is therefore not registered as such.
The University is an exempt charity for the purposes of the Charities Act 2011. This means that, unlike most other charitable trusts, it is not required to be formally registered with the Charity Commission and does not have a registered charity number.
The Office for Students (OfS) became the principal regulator of higher education providers (including those which are exempt charities) on 1 April 2018, taking over from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
Trustees
The members of the University’s Board of Governors are also the Trustees of the University for the purposes of charity law. Information about the University’s trustees can be found on the Board of Governors page.
Constitutional documents
The main constitutional documents of the University are:
- Instrument signed by The Secretary of State for Education and Science recording the designation of Sunderland Polytechnic(opens in new tab)
- Extracts from the Education Reform Act 1998(opens in new tab)
- The Education (Higher Education Corporation) Orders 1988(opens in new tab)
- Extracts from the Further and Higher Education Act 1992(opens in new tab)
- Resolution from the Board of Governors(opens in new tab)
- Power to Award Degrees (England and Wales)(opens in new tab)
- Privy Council Letter(opens in new tab)
- Extract from the Charities Act Schedule 2(h)(opens in new tab)
- Articles of Government effective from 4 July 2024(opens in new tab)
- Instruments of Government effective from 4 July 2024(opens in new tab)
- University of Sunderland Armorial Bearings(opens in new tab)