The University of Hull Charter

The University’s governing documents

The Royal Charter was received on 6 September 1954 (the University College of Hull was incorporated on 7 October 1927).

The Statutes provide the rules governing the framework in which the University operates.

The Ordinances provide information on members and officers, governing arrangements, academic arrangements and conduct of University business.

The University must seek approval from the Lords of the Privy Council for any proposed amendments to the Charter or Statutes and will not seek approval to alter the provisions of the Charter in respect of its degree awarding powers without the prior consent of the Office for Students.

The Ordinances may be amended by Council on a recommendation from Senate.

Recent Changes to the University's Charter and Statutes

Amendments to Ordinance 13 and 21 - December 2023

Corrections to role titles throughout, changes to Ordinance 13(1), and the moving of Ordinance 21(1) to form a new Appendix 1 - approved by Council on 4 December 2023.

Amendment to Charter Article 6 and 7 – October 2022

Composition of Council – approved by Privy Council on 12 October 2022

Amendment to Ordinance 21 - December 2021

A number of new awards were approved by Council on 9 December 2021.

Amendments to Charter and Statutes – July 2018

Faculty Boards have been disestablished, and therefore, references to the Boards have been removed. This was agreed at Senate on 07 March 2018 and by Council on 22 March 2018.

Amendments to Charter and Statutes – July 2015

At its meeting on 2 July 2015 Council approved amendments to the University's Statutes, which were approved by the Privy Council on 6 January 2016. Amendments have been made to Section 1-5 and a replacement Statute Section 6 inserted.
Recent Changes to the University's Ordinances
A number of housekeeping issues with the Ordinances have been identified which mean they are inconsistent with our Charter and Statutes. The key changes that have been made are:
- The deletion of Ordinance 15: the Boards of the Faculties, Ordinance 16: Powers of the Boards of the Faculties, and Ordinance 26: Reserved Matters
- Deletion of all references to Faculty Boards
- Amendments to the wording of the student representation of Senate, based on the changes in terminology of the Student Officers
- Deletion of the remaining references to Scarborough
- A change in the Senate membership from one rep from each School of the Faculty of Health Sciences to 3 reps from the Faculty of Health Sciences (therefore matching the other Faculties)
The Faculty of Science and Engineering are also introducing a new award, an MGeol which received approval from Senate on 07 November 2018.

Amendments to Ordinances 11, 15, 17 and 23

At its meeting on 6 July 2017 Council approved the changes recommended by Senate on 14 June 2017.

Amendments to Ordinances 10, 12, 14, 15 and 23

At its meeting on 30 March 2017 Council approved the changes recommended by Senate on 1 March 2017.

Amendments to Ordinances 10, 12, 14 and 15

At its meeting of Senate on 2 November 2016 it was recommended to Council to amend the Ordinances concerning Faculty's elected representatives on Senate. These changes had been approved by Chair's Action on 3 November 2016.

Amendments to Ordinance 26

At its meeting on 15 September 2016 Council approved amendments to the University's Ordinances. These amendments concern Reserved Matters.

Amendments to Ordinance 23

At its meeting on 17 March 2016 Council approved amendments to the University's Ordinances. These amendments concerned Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates in the University.

Amendments to Ordinances 14 and 16

At its meeting on 19 November 2015 Council approved amendments to the University's Ordinances. These amendments concern the Faculties' Schemes of Organisation (i.e. their Faculty Constitutions) and the powers of Faculty Boards.

Amendments to Ordinances 2 and 23

At its meeting on 19 March 2015 Council approved amendments to the University's Ordinances. These amendments permitted Council to determine the period for which a Chancellor holds office, and added three new integrated masters programmes to the list of Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates in the University.

Amendments to Ordinances 10, 12, 15 and 23 – November 2014

At its meeting on 27 November 2014 Council approved amendments to the University's Ordinances. These amendments clarified that, where relevant, eligibility for membership of Senate and Council for Heads of Schools or Departments was applicable to equivalent post holders. A number of additions were also made to the University awards list for both undergraduate and higher degree awards.

Amendments - July 2014 and October 2014

At its meeting on 3 July 2014 Council approved amendments to the University's Ordinances, some of which were dependent on the Privy Council's approval to changes to the University's Charter and Statutes. (Privy Council approval was granted on 8 October 2014). The changes included removal of Court as a formally constituted body of the University, and a definition was provided for an academic member of staff for electoral purposes.

A Chair's Action on behalf of Council, signed in October 2014, approved a change in the composition of Senate by listing the Principal of the Scarborough Campus in the category of "the holders of such other academic offices in the University as may from time to time be prescribed by Ordinances".

Amendments to Ordinances 1, 2, 3, 4 (deleted) and (as renumbered) 10, 13, 16 and 17 – July 2013

At its meeting on 27 July 2013 Council approved amendments to the University's Ordinances to remove the role of Treasurer, alter the composition of Council, and extend the terms of office of Senate elected members (if necessary).

A number of further amendments were made by Council at its meeting on 10 April 2014, some of which take immediate effect and some of which come into effect from Semester 1 2014-15.