Charitable status

Staffordshire University is a Higher Education Corporation by virtue of the Education Reform Act 1988. The University’s full legal name is Staffordshire University and the correspondence address is:

College Road
Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire
ST4 2DE 

Powers of the Corporation 

Under Section 124(1) of the Education Reform Act 1988, the University has power to:

• provide higher education
• provide further education
• carry out research and publish the results of such research  

Section 124(2) of the Education Reform Act 1988 permits the University to do anything which appears to the trustees to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of providing higher and further education and research. In addition, there is a general power to do anything incidental to the conduct of an educational institution providing higher or further education, including the giving of prizes, grants and scholarships. 

Constitutional documents

The University’s primary constitutional documents are: 

(i) the Instrument of Government of Staffordshire University dated 5th March 1993 creating the Higher Education Corporation in accordance with section 124(3) and (4) and Schedules 7 and 7A of the 1988 Education Reform Act. The Instrument of Government details the constitution of the Higher Education Corporation including the responsibility of the Board of Governors.

(ii) the Articles of Government of Staffordshire University which came into operation on 22nd June 1994 and superseded the previous articles. The Articles of Government contain details of the internal structure and running of the Higher Education Corporation. In addition, at its meeting held on 22nd March 2005 the University’s Board of Governors approved the following Statement of Primary Responsibilities for the Board in accordance with the guidance issued by the Committee of University Chairmen – Governance Code of Practice and General Principles:

Section 3(i) of the University’s Instrument of Government states that the Board of Governors shall be responsible for:

• the determination of the educational character and mission of the University and for oversight of its activities;
• the effective and efficient use of resources, the solvency of the institution, and the Corporation and for safeguarding their assets;
• approving annual estimates of income and expenditure;
• the appointment, grading, assignment, appraisal, suspension, dismissal and determination of the pay and conditions of service of holders of senior posts; and setting a framework for the pay and conditions of service of all other staff. 

In particular the Board will:

• approve the mission and strategic vision of the institution, long-term business plans, key performance indicators (KPIs) and annual budgets, and ensure that these meet the interests of stakeholders;
• appoint the head of the institution as chief executive of the institution and put in place suitable arrangements for monitoring his/her performance;   
• ensure the establishment and monitoring of systems of control and accountability, including financial and operational controls and risk assessment, clear procedures for handling internal grievances and for managing conflicts of interest;
• monitor institutional performance against plans and approved KPIs, which, where possible and appropriate, be benchmarked against other institutions. 

Charitable status and the University’s Trustees

As a Higher Education Corporation, the University is listed as an exempt charity under Schedule 2 to the Charities Act 1993. This means for its charitable activities the University benefits from the status of a charity but it is not registered with the Charity Commission. The Office for Students (OfS), as principal regulator, is responsible for ensuring that those English universities that are exempt charities fulfil their obligations under charity law. 

The members of the Board of Governors, who include the Vice-Chancellor and staff and student members, are the trustees of the charity. Declared trusteeships of members of the Board of Governors are available to view within the Declaration of Interests.

Remuneration

Following approval from the Charities Commission, the role of the Chair of the Board of Governors is a remunerated position with effect from 1 August 2022.

Financial Statements

For a detailed overview of income sources and expenditure as well as other financial information visit our Financial Statements page.