Please note that these are current documents, but are under review. As soon as updated versions are available, they shall be published on the Office of Governance and Secretariat web pages.
October 2011

Charter and Statutes of the University 

The Charter is the legal document that created the University of Sussex in August 1961. The University's fundamental governance structures and constitutional procedures, along with the powers of its statutory bodies (Court, Council and Senate) and duties of its chief Officers, are described in the Statutes. The Statutes are approved by the Privy Council, which authorised the most recent set of amendments on 25 August 2009.

Ordinances and Regulations

The Ordinances act as a subsidiary legislative document to the Charter and Statutes. Areas covered include: student disciplinary and appeals procedures, titles of degrees and Schools, lists of collaborative institutions, the Students' Union, and the composition of Senate. The Regulations contain detailed rules about: the composition of Council, elections to Senate, Heads of Schools, academic titles and dress, the various degree programmes awarded by the University, and general University regulations (library, ICT, administrative). The Ordinances and Regulations is updated annually and approved by Council and Senate.

The Organisation of the University

The Organisation of the University sets out the Committee and Officer structures that are used by Council and Senate to delegate and carry out the management of the University's affairs. It details the composition and terms of reference of the various Committees, and contains general guidance on Committee procedures and processes. It also summarises the roles of the University's principal Officers, from the Vice-Chancellor to key School-level appointments. The Organisation of the University is updated annually and approved by Council and Senate.