ELIZABETH THE SECOND

by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Our other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith:

To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting!

WHEREAS an humble Petition has been presented unto Us by Our right trusty and well beloved William Edward Baron Rootes, Knight Grand Cross of Our Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, deceased, and others, being members of the University of Warwick Promotion Committee, praying that We should constitute and found a University within Our County of Warwick and City of Coventry for the advancement of learning and knowledge by teaching and research and for the provision of University education and to grant a Charter with such provisions in that behalf as shall seem to Us right and suitable:

AND WHEREAS We have taken the said Petition into Our Royal Consideration and are minded to accede thereto:

NOW THEREFORE KNOW YE that We by virtue of Our Prerogative Royal and of Our especial grace, certain knowledge and mere motion have willed and ordained and by these Presents do for Us, Our Heirs and Successors will and ordain as follows:

1    There shall be and is hereby constituted and founded in Our said County of Warwick and City of Coventry a University with the name and style of ‘The University of Warwick’.

2    The Chancellor, the Pro-Chancellors, the Vice-Chancellor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, the Treasurer and the Pro-Vice-Chancellors of the University for the time being, the members for the time being of the Council, the Senate, the members of the Academic Staff, the Graduates of the University, the Graduate and the Undergraduate students of the University, and all who shall pursuant to this Our Charter and the Statutes of the University for the time being be members of the University are hereby constituted and from henceforth for ever shall be one Body Politic and Corporate with perpetual succession and a Common Seal by the name and style of ‘The University of Warwick’ (in this Our Charter called ‘the University’) with power to obtain through Our College of Arms a grant of armorial bearings (which shall be duly recorded in Our said College) and in that name to sue and be sued, to take, purchase, hold, charge, sell, exchange, demise or otherwise dispose of real and personal property, to invest, lend or borrow money, and subject to the provisions of this Our Charter to perform such other acts as by law Bodies Corporate may do, and the University shall have the constitution and powers and be subject to the regulations in this Our Charter prescribed or contained.

3    The objects of the University shall be the advancement of learning and knowledge by teaching and research and the provision of University education.

4    The University shall be both a teaching and an examining body and shall, subject to this Our Charter and the Statutes, have the following powers:

(a)    To prescribe in the Statutes, Ordinances or Regulations the requirements for Matriculation and the conditions under which persons shall be admitted to the University or to any particular course of study therein.

(b)    To grant and confer under conditions laid down in the Statutes, Ordinances or Regulations, Degrees, Diplomas, Certificates and other academic distinctions to and on persons who shall have pursued a course of study approved by the University and shall have passed the examinations or other tests prescribed by the University.

(c)    To confer Honorary Degrees and other distinctions on approved persons provided that all Honorary Degrees and other distinctions so conferred shall be conferred and held subject to any provisions which are or may be made in reference thereto by the Statutes, Ordinances or Regulations.

(d)    On what the University shall deem to be good cause to deprive persons of any Degrees or other distinctions conferred upon them by the University and to revoke any Diplomas or Certificates granted to them by the University.

(e)    To provide instruction in such branches of learning as the University may think fit and to make provision for research and for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge in such manner as the University may determine.

(f)    To provide such lectures and instruction for persons not members of the University as the University may determine and to grant Diplomas and Certificates to such persons.

(g)    To accept the examinations passed and periods of study spent by students at other Universities or places of learning as equivalent to such examinations and periods of study in the University as the University may determine and to withdraw such acceptance at any time.

(h)    To affiliate other institutions or branches or departments thereof and to recognise selected members of the staff thereof as teachers of the University and to admit the members thereof to any of the privileges of the University, and to accept attendance at courses of study in such institutions or branches or departments thereof in place of such part of the attendance at courses of study in the University and upon such terms and conditions, and subject to such regulations as may from time to time be determined by the University.

(i)    To prescribe in the Statutes, Ordinances or Regulations the disciplinary provisions to which students of the University shall be subject.

(j)    To co-operate by means of Joint Boards or otherwise with other University authorities for the conduct of examinations and for such other purposes as the University may from time to time determine.

(k)    To institute Professorships, Readerships, Associate Professorships, and Assistant Professorships, and other offices of any kind and whether academic or not as may be required by the University; to appoint persons to and to remove them from such offices and to prescribe their conditions of service.

(l)    To institute and award Fellowships, Scholarships, Studentships, Prizes and other aids to study and research.

m)    To establish and maintain and to administer and govern institutions for the residence of the students of the University and to license and supervise such institutions and other places of residence whether or not maintained by the University.

(n)    To make provision for research and advisory services and with these objects to enter into such arrangements with other institutions or with public bodies as the University may think desirable.

(o)    To provide for the printing and publication of research and other works which may be issued by the University.

(p)    To demand and receive fees.

(q)    To take such steps as may from time to time be deemed expedient for the purpose of procuring contributions to the funds of the University and to raise money in such other manner as the University may deem fit.

(r)    To act as trustee or manager of any property, legacy, endowment, bequest or gift for purposes of education or research or otherwise in furtherance of the work and welfare of the University and to invest any funds representing the same in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes annexed to this Our Charter.

(s)    To enter into an Agreement or Agreements with the Trustees of the University of Warwick Foundation, being the Trustees for the time being under a Declaration of Trust dated the twenty-fourth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and sixty-two, for taking over their rights. property, liabilities and engagements and for the dissolution of the Trustees and Trust.

(t)    To provide for the dissolution of the University of Warwick Promotion Committee and of the Executive Committee thereof.

(u)    To enter into any agreement for the incorporation in the University of any other institution and for taking over its rights, property and liabilities and for any other purpose not repugnant to this Our Charter.

(v)    To provide for reward or otherwise such goods and services for members of the University and their families, guests and servants as may be deemed expedient and consistent with the objects of the University as a place of education and learning.

(w)    To maintain, manage, deal with, dispose of and, subject to the provisions of this Our Charter and of the Statutes, to invest all the property, money, assets and rights of the University and to enter into engagements and to accept obligations and liabilities in all respects without any restriction whatsoever and in the same manner as an individual may manage his/her own affairs.

(x)    To do all such other acts and things whether incidental to the powers aforesaid or not as may be requisite in order to further the objects of the University as a place of education and learning.

5    There shall be a Chancellor of the University who shall be the head of the University.

6    There shall be a Pro-Chancellor, or Pro-Chancellors of the University not exceeding two in number. In the absence of the Chancellor or during a vacancy in that office, the Council shall appoint a Pro-Chancellor to exercise and perform, subject to the Statutes, all the functions of the Chancellor except the conferring of Degrees.

7    There shall be a Vice-Chancellor of the University, who shall be the Chief Academic and Administrative Officer of the University and shall preside over meetings of the Senate and who shall in the absence of the Chancellor or during a vacancy in the office of Chancellor confer Degrees.

8     There may be a Deputy Vice-Chancellor for the University if the Council of the University shall from time to time consider it proper to appoint one, who shall, subject to the Statues, exercise such of the functions and duties of the Vice-Chancellor as the Vice-Chancellor or, if the Vice-Chancellor should be incapacitated, the Council shall delegate.

9    There shall be such other officers of the University as the Council of the University may from time to time consider proper.

10    There shall be a Pro-Vice-Chancellor, or Pro-Vice-Chancellors of the University, who shall, subject to the Statutes, exercise and perform such of the functions and duties of the Vice-Chancellor as the Vice-Chancellor or, if the Vice-Chancellor should be incapacitated, the Council may delegate.

11    The first Chancellor, Pro-Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor shall be the persons named in the First Schedule to this Our Charter.

12    There shall be a Council of the University (in this Our Charter called ‘the Council’) which, subject to the provisions of this Our Charter and of the Statutes, shall be the executive governing body of the University and shall jointly with the Senate appoint a Chancellor and shall have the custody and use of the Common Seal and shall be responsible for the management and administration of the revenue and property of the University and, subject to the powers of the Senate as provided in this Our Charter and the Statutes, shall have general control over the conduct of the affairs of the University and shall have all such other powers and duties as may be conferred upon it by the Statutes.

13    There shall be a Senate of the University (in this Our Charter called ‘the Senate’) which shall, subject to the powers of the Council as provided in this Our Charter and the Statutes, be responsible for the academic work of the University, both in teaching and in research, and for the regulation and superintendence of the education and discipline of the students of the University.

14    There shall be constituted, subject to the provisions of this Our Charter and of the Statutes, such Faculties, Boards of the Faculties, Sub-Faculties and Departments and such other bodies as the Council and Senate may from time to time consider necessary for the administration of teaching and research.

15    There shall be an Assembly of the University, which shall be a meeting of members of the academic staff of the University.

16    Subject to the provisions of this Our Charter, Statutes may prescribe or regulate as the case may be:

(1)    The status, appointment and continuance in office of the Chancellor, Pro-Chancellors, Vice-Chancellor, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellors and other officers of the University.

(2)    The constitution, powers, duties and functions (as the case may be) of the Council, the Senate, the Faculties, the Boards of the Faculties, the Sub-Faculties, the Departments, the Assembly, and such other bodies as may be established.

(3)    All such other matters as the Council may deem fit and meet with respect to or for the governing of the University, its members and constituent parts or otherwise for the promotion of the objects of this Our Charter.

17    (1)    The Statutes set out in the Second Schedule to this Our Charter shall be the first Statutes of the University and shall remain in force until they have been added to, amended or repealed in the manner prescribed in paragraph (2) hereof.

(2)    The Council may by Special Resolution make Statutes for the University which may add to, amend or repeal the Statutes for the time being in force: Provided that no such Statutes shall have effect until approved by the Lords of Our Most Honourable Privy Council, of which approval a Certificate under the hand of the Clerk of Our said Privy Council shall be conclusive.

18    Subject to the provisions of this Our Charter and of the Statutes the Council may make Ordinances and the Senate may make Regulations to direct and regulate the University and its authorities and members. The power to make Ordinances and Regulations shall include the power to add to, amend or repeal any Ordinances and Regulations theretofore made.

19    The Statutes may direct that any of the matters prescribed or regulated by Statute or authorised or directed in this Our Charter shall be further prescribed or regulated by Ordinance, provided that any such further prescription or regulation shall not be repugnant to the provisions of the Statutes or of this Our Charter.

20    No religious, racial or political test shall be imposed upon any person in order to entitle that person to be admitted as a member, professor, teacher or student of the University or to hold office therein or to graduate thereat or to hold any advantage or privilege thereof.

21    Men and women shall be equally eligible for any office or appointment in the University and for membership of any of its constituent bodies and all Degrees and courses of study in the University shall be open to men and women alike.

22    The University shall not make any dividend, gift, division or bonus in money unto or between any of its members except by way of prize, reward or special grant.

23    (1)    The Council may at any time add to, amend or repeal this Our Charter by a Special Resolution in that behalf and such addition, amendment or repeal shall when allowed by Us, Our Heirs or Successors in Council become effectual so that this Our Charter shall thenceforth continue and operate as so added to, amended or repealed in manner aforesaid.

(2)    This Article shall apply to this Our Charter as added to, amended or repealed in manner aforesaid.

24    For the purpose of this Our Charter, a ‘Special Resolution’ means a Resolution passed at one meeting of the Council and confirmed at a subsequent meeting held not less than four weeks nor more than three calendar months after the former provided that notice of each meeting shall be given to each member of the Council not less than fourteen days before the meeting be held, and that the Resolution be passed at each meeting by a majority of not less than three-fourths of those present and voting.

25    We reserve unto Ourself, Our Heirs and Successors, the right, on representation from the Council made in pursuance of a resolution passed by a simple majority of the members of the Council present and voting, to appoint by Order in Council a Visitor of the University for such period and with such duties and powers as We, Our Heirs and Successors shall see fit and his/her decision on matters within his/her jurisdiction shall be final.

26    Our Royal Will and Pleasure is that this Our Charter shall ever be construed benevolently and in every case most favourably to the University and the promotion of the objects of this Our Charter.

IN WITNESS whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent.

WITNESS Ourself at Westminster the eighth day of March in the fourteenth year of Our Reign.

By Warrant under the Queen’s Sign Manual

First Schedule

First Officers of the University

Chancellor                       Cyril John Viscount Radcliffe, GBE

Pro-Chancellor                Sir Arnold Alexander Hall, FRS, MA

Vice-Chancellor               John Blackstock Butterworth, Esquire, MA

Pro-Vice-Chancellor        Wilfrid Harrison, Esquire, MA