Governance, Policy and Legal
What is the ºÚÁÏÉç’s Registered Name and Address?
| Legal name: | The Royal Veterinary College |
| Also known as: | “Royal Veterinary College” and by the abbreviations (according to context): “the ºÚÁÏÉç” or “ºÚÁÏÉç” |
| Campus Details: | The College operates from two campuses: Camden, London and Hawkshead, Hertfordshire |
| Registered Office / Correspondence address / Camden Campus address: |
Royal College Street, Camden, London, NW1 0TU |
| Hawkshead Campus Address: | Hawkshead House, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, AL9 7TA |
Useful ºÚÁÏÉç Registration Numbers
| Register No. (Companies House): | RC000532 |
| UK Register of Learning Providers No.: | UKPRN 10007779 |
| D-U-N-S Number (Dun & Bradstreet) | 42-440-0844 (This number relates to Camden as the Registered Office of RVC) |
| VAT Reg. No.: | 766414220 |
| Information Commissioner’s Office No.: | Z6779018 (RVC) and Z1106364 (Animal Care Trust) relating to FOI / DPA Issues () |
How is the ºÚÁÏÉç Governed?
Governance provides the structure and mechanisms through which the ºÚÁÏÉç ensures that its leadership and management are fully accountable for its achievement of its charitable objects for the public benefit.
The legal status and overarching governance arrangements of the ºÚÁÏÉç are defined in its Charter and Statutes. The ºÚÁÏÉç received its first Royal Charter from Queen Victoria on 16th April 1875. The most recently revised Charter and Statutes were approved by the Privy Council in May 2021 and can be found here:
The 1956, 2007 and 2010 versions of the ºÚÁÏÉç Charter & Statutes can be found here:
- ºÚÁÏÉç Charter & Statutes 1956
- ºÚÁÏÉç Charter Revised November 2007
- ºÚÁÏÉç Statutes Revised November 2007
- ºÚÁÏÉç Charter Revised July 2010
- ºÚÁÏÉç Statutes Revised July 2010
(Copies of earlier Charter Documents can be obtained upon written request to the Secretary to Council.)
The ºÚÁÏÉç's governing body is the ºÚÁÏÉç Council and details of current Members of Council can be found on this link, together with details of any other trusteeships / directorships held by them.
The ºÚÁÏÉç’s Council ensures that its governance arrangements comply with The Higher Education Code of Governance, issued by the Committee of University Chairs (CUC), the conditions of our registration as a Higher Education Provider with the Office for Students and identified good practice.
The ºÚÁÏÉç’s Council is supported in its governance work by its sub-committees, which are as follows:
- Finance & General Purposes Committee
- Audit & Risk Committee
- Academic Board
- Health & Safety Committee
- Ethics & Welfare Committee
- Governance & Nominations Committee
- Senior Staff Remuneration Committee
What is the ºÚÁÏÉç’s Charitable Status and how is it regulated?
The ºÚÁÏÉç is a charitable body but is exempt from registration with and oversight by the Charity Commission under the terms of the Charities Act 2011 and therefore has no charity number. It is subject to the legal rules applicable to charities under English Law and to the general provisions of the Charities Acts. The ºÚÁÏÉç is treated as an exempt charity because it was created under Royal Charter and its principal statutory regulator, , oversees its compliance with charity law. The ºÚÁÏÉç is also the sole trustee of the Animal Care Trust, which is an independent charity that is fully registered with the Charity Commission.
The charitable object or purpose of the ºÚÁÏÉç is “to advance higher education and research and publish the useful results for the public benefit with particular focus in the art and science of veterinary medicine and surgery, biological and biomedical sciences and related subjects”.
What is the ºÚÁÏÉç’s relationship to the University of London
The ºÚÁÏÉç joined the University of London as a constituent college in 1949 and is currently one of 19 member institutions within the federation of the . The ºÚÁÏÉç awards its Degrees through the University of London as well as holding Degree Awarding Powers in its own right.
What is the ºÚÁÏÉç’s financial status?
Copies of the ºÚÁÏÉç’s Annual Reports which include our Public Benefit statements and full audited Financial Statements (covering at least the past 5 years) can be viewed by clicking on the following link: Annual Reports & Financial Statements.
What is the ºÚÁÏÉç’s Senior Management structure?
The College’s Executive Committee (CEC) is chaired by the Principal, is the Principal’s central team, and comprises Vice Principals, The Chief Operating Officer, The Director of Finance, Heads of Academic Departments, and Directors of Professional Services.
What is the interface between the ºÚÁÏÉç Council and the ºÚÁÏÉç’s Academic Activities?
The Academic Board is responsible to the ºÚÁÏÉç Council for the development and management of the ºÚÁÏÉç’s academic affairs. The Academic Board delegates its responsibilities through an Academic Committee Structure that covers our undergraduate and postgraduate activities.