Governance, Policy and Legal
What is the RVC’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 RVC” or “RVC” |
| 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 RVC 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 (www.ico.org.uk) |
How is the RVC Governed?
Governance provides the structure and mechanisms through which the RVC 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 RVC are defined in its Charter and Statutes. The RVC 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 RVC Charter & Statutes can be found here:
- RVC Charter & Statutes 1956
- RVC Charter Revised November 2007
- RVC Statutes Revised November 2007
- RVC Charter Revised July 2010
- RVC Statutes Revised July 2010
(Copies of earlier Charter Documents can be obtained upon written request to the Secretary to Council.)
The RVC's governing body is the RVC 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 RVC’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 RVC’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 RVC’s Charitable Status and how is it regulated?
The RVC 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 RVC is treated as an exempt charity because it was created under Royal Charter and its principal statutory regulator, OfS, oversees its compliance with charity law. The RVC 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 RVC 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 RVC’s relationship to the University of London
The RVC joined the University of London as a constituent college in 1949 and is currently one of 19 member institutions within the federation of the University of London. The RVC awards its Degrees through the University of London as well as holding Degree Awarding Powers in its own right.
What is the RVC’s financial status?
Copies of the RVC’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 RVC’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 RVC Council and the RVC’s Academic Activities?
The Academic Board is responsible to the RVC Council for the development and management of the RVC’s academic affairs. The Academic Board delegates its responsibilities through an Academic Committee Structure that covers our undergraduate and postgraduate activities.