The post-1992 institutions comprise the former polytechnics and colleges of higher education. They are higher education corporations, whose structures of governance derive from the 1988 Education Reform Act and the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act. The governing arrangements are set out in an instrument of government (defined in the 1988 Act), and articles of government, which are generally very similar, having all been subject to the approval of the Secretary of State for Education. In contrast to the pre-1992 universities, their model of governance specifies:
A small number of post-1992 institutions are established as companies limited by guarantee (for example the University of Winchester) and one (the Royal Agricultural College) is a private limited company (though its shares are not publicly available). Their governing instruments are a memorandum and articles of association, which incorporate the provisions of the instruments and articles of government common to the post-1992 sector. For these institutions the governing body also acts as the company board of directors
The standard instrument of government in post-1992 institutions usually contains little on the work of the governing body, but the articles of government generally contain five standard responsibilities of the board:
In post-1992 institutions the position concerning academic governance is rather different from that in the pre-1992 universities. The articles of government give the governing body responsibility for determining the institution's educational character and mission and give the academic board an advisory role in the development of academic activities, except in matters directly concerning academic quality. There are generally fewer staff and student members on the board of governors, and it is very rare to find senior officers in membership other than the vice-chancellor or principal. Other officers may well attend meetings as observers and interact with governors, but the nature of the relationship with the academic board is different from that in pre-1992 institutions.