Model Publication Scheme
This page provides categories of information and will direct you to the relevant section of our website.
8.1 General Information
This category covers general information about how to make contact with the institution. It includes information about how to complain about the institution, and how to serve formal documents on it. It is aimed at providing very general information for the public. More detailed information will be provided in other categories.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Name and address | The name of the institution, and the address of its principal office | Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh, East Lothian, EH21 6UU |
| Principal officers | Names of the principal officers of the institution | Please visit the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and Senior Management Team webpage. |
| Contact information | Information on how to contact the institution |
Please visit the Contact us webpage. All calls should be made to +44 (0)131 474 0000. |
| Location | Information on the institution's principal and other main locations, including campus maps | Queen Margaret University is based on a single campus in Musselburgh. Please visit the Location and Getting here webpage. |
| Opening hours | Opening hours of the institution's principal office(s) |
Monday – Thursday: 9am – 5pm Friday: 9am – 4.30pm (Reception manned from 8.30am – 6pm, Monday – Friday) Please note that the (LRC) has different opening hours to those stated above |
| Academic year dates | Information on the dates of the institution's academic years | Please visit the Academic Calendar webpage |
| Holidays | Dates of closure of the institution | Please visit the Academic Calendar webpage. With the exception of the Learning Resource Centre, the University is closed for eight days in December and January. |
| Complaints | Procedures on how to complain about the institution |
Please visit the University’s Complaints Procedure or email Complaints@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Document serving | Contact details for serving legal documents on the institution, e.g. Court Orders | University Secretary, Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh, East Lothian, EH21 6UU |
8.2 Access to Information and Records Management Policies
This category tells people how to request information from the institution, both under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act and the Data Protection Act. It also covers institutional procedures for these pieces of legislation.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| How to make a request for information and freedom of information enquiries contact | Details of how to request information from the institution under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act, the Data Protection Act, and the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations. Central contact point for Freedom of Information enquiries |
Please visit the How to Submit an FOI Request and the How to Submit a Data Subject Access Request webpages. Requests can be made verbally and in writing: Email: FOI@qmu.ac.uk. Phone: +44 (0)131 474 0000 and ask for Freedom of Information when prompted. Post: Freedom of Information, Governance & Quality Enhancement, Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh, East Lothian, EH21 6UU |
| Information legislation policies | Institutional policies and procedures on Freedom of Information, Data Protection and Environmental Information | Please visit the FOI and Data Protection webpage. |
| Records Management and archiving policy | Policies and guidance relating to our records management, records and information retention and archiving policies |
Please visit the Records Management webpage. |
8.3 Governance
This category covers information relating to the way the institution is governed and how decisions are made. It includes information on the legal status of the institution, which individual member of staff or group within the organisation is responsible for specific functions and where they fit in the overall organisation structure.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Framework | Information on how the institution was established and its standing from a legal perspective | Please visit the Court Members’ Handbook page, available on the University Court webpage. |
| Governance Structure | The institution's governance structures and related operational procedures | Please see the Court Members’ Handbook, available on the University Court webpage. |
| Governance precepts | The institution's arrangements for compliance with good governance precepts |
Information regarding our arrangements for compliance with governance precepts can be found in within the Court Members’ Handbook, which is available on University Court webpage. Queen Margaret University employs both internal and external auditors to ensure robust systems of internal control and accurate and transparent annual accounts. Internal and external audit functions are contracted out. |
| Conflict of interests policy | The institution's conflict of interests policies | Please see Clauses 7 and 10 of , and clauses 4 and 7 of the Court Standing Orders, available on the University Court webpage. |
| Register of interests | Institutional register of interests |
Details are provided within the profiles of individual Court members, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk |
| Institutional structure | A description of the institution's major organisational units and how these relate to each other |
Please visit the Schools and Divisions website for details of the academic organisational structure. Information on the Professional Services organisational units is available on request. Please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Major committees | The activities of major committees with devolved decision-making powers |
Please visit the Regulations, Policies and Procedures webpage for committee terms of reference and a committee structure. Please visit the University Court webpage for Court publications, minutes, and the Court Member Handbook. Minutes and papers of meetings of statutory bodies and other major committees are available on request. Please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Subsidiary companies | Information on the names, addresses, broad functions and purposes of companies where the institution is a majority shareholder |
QMU Enterprises Ltd - c/o Queen Margaret University Undertakes commercial letting of University accommodation and provision of commercial consultancy services by members of University staff. |
| Honorary degrees | Policies, procedures and awards of honorary degrees | Please visit the Awards of the University page and the Honorary Graduates website |
8.4 Financial Resources
This category covers information on the institution’s strategy and management of financial resources. The finance department provides accounting, procurement and contracting services, helping to make best use of resources and fulfilling statutory responsibilities.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Financial statements | The institution's annual accounts | Please visit the Finance webpage. |
| Budgetary processes | Policies and procedures for making budgetary allocations to major budgetary units | The narrative at the front of the statement of accounts provides an overview of the financial control environment, which would include budgetary processes. Please visit the Finance webpage. |
| Budgets overview | Summary of overall budget and budgetary allocations to major budgetary units |
Available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Financial regulations | Institution's financial administration manual |
Available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Insurance | Summary information on the institution's major insurance policies | Available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Senior staff remuneration | Principal's remuneration and statistical information on remuneration of other senior staff required to be published under the SFC Financial Memorandum | These are included in the University’s statement of accounts. Please visit the Finance webpage. |
| Investments | Summary information on institutional endowments and investments | The University does not hold any investments. Details of endowment reserves are included in the notes to the Statement of Accounts. Please visit the Finance webpage. |
8.5 Corporate Planning
This category provides information on the institution's mission and major strategic plans.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Mission | Institution's Mission statement | Please visit the Vision, Mission and Values webpage. |
| Corporate plan | Institution's corporate or Strategic Plan | Please visit Our Strategic Plan webpage. |
| Strategies | Major institutional strategy documents |
Please visit Our Strategic Plan webpage. Further information may be available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Performance indicators | Indicators used by the governing body and senior management to measure overall institutional performance |
Key performance indicators may be available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. Please visit the Policy, Strategy and Facts and Figures webpage. |
| Planning procedures | Internal procedures for planning and resource allocation |
Available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
8.6 Procurement
Collaborative procurements may be led by central bodies such as Procurement Scotland, APUC Limited, Excel, NHS National Procurement or Central Government Procurement Centre of Expertise. Information about the procurement services these organisations provide to the institution may be obtained direct from the organisations.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Procurement policies | Institution's overall strategy for procurement of non-pay expenditure and policies for compliance with legal obligations on major procurement exercises |
Please visit the Finance webpage. The University is a member of . Please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk for further information. |
| Procurement procedures | Institution's procurement and purchasing manuals | Please visit the Finance webpage. |
| Procurement contacts | Contact information for procurement and purchasing information | Please visit the Finance webpage. |
| Tender documentation | EU-prescribed call for competition contract notices, invitations to tender, and pre-qualification questionnaire documentation for significant procurements | Available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Supplier contracts | EU-prescribed award notices of major contracts over EU thresholds | Available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
8.7 Management of Research
This category covers information relating to the institution’s management and funding of its research activities; it does not include the actual results or data of research undertaken.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Research funding | Statistical information on the major sources of the institution's research funding |
Please visit the following website and webpages: website; Finance webpage (Strategic Report and Financial Statements); and Research and Knowledge Exchange webpage. |
| Research quality | Results of external measurement of the quality of the institution's research | Please visit the Research and Knowledge Exchange webpage. |
| Research strategies | Summary information on institutional-level strategic plans for research | Please visit the Research and Knowledge Exchange Unit’s Strategy and Policy webpage. |
| Research management structures | A description of the structures the institution uses to manage its research activity | Please visit the Research Centres, Institutes and Groups webpage. |
| Research support arrangements | Institution's procedures for supporting research | Please visit the Research and Knowledge Exchange Unit’s Strategy and Policy webpage. |
| Research ethics | The institution's research ethics policies and procedures | Please visit the Research Ethics and Governance webpage. |
| Research students policies and procedures | The institution's policies and procedures for supervising and examining research students | Please visit the Graduate School’s Current Students page. |
8.8 Commercialisation and Knowledge Transfer
This category provides information about the institution's mechanisms for supporting the commercialisation of outputs from its research activities.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Support arrangements | A description of how the institution supports commercialisation of the knowledge generated by its research activities. | Please visit the Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation webpages. |
| Contact information | How to get information about the institution's commercialisation activities. |
Please visit the Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation webpages. Please email the Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Unit using RKEDU@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Commercialisation funding | Statistical information on the major sources of the institution's funding for commercialisation and knowledge transfer. |
Please visit the following website and webpages: website; Research and Knowledge Exchange webpage. Available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Commercialisation resources | A description of institutional facilities and resources for supporting commercialisation activity. | Please visit the Services for Business and Industry webpage. |
| Commercialisation outcomes | Statistical information about the institution's commercialisation of its research activities. | Available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Consultancy services | How to get information about the institution's consultancy services. |
Please visit the Contract Research and Consultancy webpage. Please email the Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Unit using RKEDU@qmu.ac.uk. |
8.9 Human Resources
This category covers information on the institution’s strategy and management of human resources, rather than information relating to individual members of staff (exempt from disclosure as personal information). The information available covers Personnel policies and procedures (including terms and conditions of service and all current versions of the information specified in each category).
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Staff profile | Statistical information on staff | Please visit the Policy, Strategy and Facts and Figures webpage, and the Equality and Diversity webpage. |
| Recruitment policies | Policies, statements, procedures and guidelines relating to recruitment | Please visit the HR Policies and Procedures webpage. |
| Employment terms | Generic terms and conditions of employment | |
| Performance management | Policies and procedures relating to performance management | |
| Promotion | Policies, statements, procedures, guidelines and statistics relating to promotion, regrading and salary reviews | Please visit the Policy, Strategy and Facts and Figures webpage, and the Equality and Diversity webpage. |
| Pensions | Policies and guidelines on pension arrangements for staff |
Please visit the Working Life at QMU webpage or email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Discipline | Disciplinary procedures and policies | Please visit the HR Policies and Procedures webpage. |
| Grievance | Grievance procedures and policies | |
| Employee relations | Collective bargaining and consultation procedures with recognised Trades Unions and Professional Organisations and agreements reached | |
| Public interest disclosure | Information required for compliance with the Public Interest Disclosure Act | |
| Staff development | Policies and procedures relating to the ongoing development of staff | Please visit the Develop webpage. |
| Staff records | The institution's policy on the collection, maintenance and use of personal information about staff. | Please visit the Privacy Statement webpage. |
| Staff facilities | Description of the facilities and services available exclusively to members of staff. | Please visit the Working Life at QMU webpage. |
8.10 Physical Resources
Institutions are often substantial land and property owners in their own right. This category covers information at a strategic level relating to the institution’s management of its physical resources. Some of this information is required to be published under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Description of estate | Overview of the institution's estate |
Please visit Our Campus webpage. Campus drawings are available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Estate development plans | Plans for major changes to the estate, including plans for use of major external capital funding |
Please visit the website: Edinburgh Innovation Park Available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Buildings under construction | Summary information about buildings under construction | The University currently has no buildings under construction, and has no plans to construct any new buildings within the period to August 2020. |
| Maintenance | Maintenance arrangements and policies for buildings and grounds | Available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Estates indicators | Performance indicators on major estates functions |
Please visit the website. Available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Environmental policies | The institution's environmental policies, practices and overview of their impact |
Please visit the website. Please see the Sustainability and Green Travel Plan and Strategy webpages. |
8.11 Health and Safety
This category covers information about the institution's health and safety policies, risk assessment policies, procedures and record.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Policies | Policies, procedures and guidelines relating to health and safety | Please visit the Regulations, Policies and Procedures webpages. |
| Annual Reports and statistics | Reports to governing body on health and safety issues Summary statistics on accidents and incidents within the institution |
Available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
8.12 Equality and Diversity
This category provides information about the institution’s policies and strategies regarding equality and diversity.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Equal opportunities policies and guidance | Equality and diversity policies, statements, procedures, and guidelines |
Please visit the Equality Policy, which is available on the Equality and Diversity webpage. |
| Equal opportunities consultation | Information about consultation procedures required for compliance with statutory equality duties | Please visit the Equality and Diversity webpage. |
| Equality management infrastructure | Information on committees and other groups engaged in determining equality and diversity policies |
Please visit the Equality and Diversity webpage for details of the Equality and Diversity Committee’s remit. |
8.13 Support for Disabled People
This category provides information about the institution's policies, procedures, and support for disabled people, including information about accessibility of major buildings and services.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Disability policies | Policies, procedures and guidelines relating to support for disabled people |
Please visit the Inclusive Learning and Teaching Policy on the Regulations, Policies and Procedures webpage, and the Equality Policy, which are available on the Equality and Diversity webpage. The Disabled International Students: Student Guide is available but has yet to be published. |
| Support structures | A description of the institution's support structures for disability issues | Please visit the Disability Service and webpages. |
| Accessibility of buildings and services | Information about accessibility of each of the institution's main buildings and services | Queen Margaret University is located at a purpose built campus that is accessible.
The University undertakes periodic access audits and this and the relevant action plan are available on request. Please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Contacts | Details of how to get information about support for disabled people |
Please visit the Disability Service webpage. Please email DisabilityAdvisers@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Strategies | The institution's strategies for improving support for disabled people, and mechanisms for monitoring these | Please visit the British Sign Language (BSL) Action Plan webpage. |
| Statistics | Summary statistics on support for disability within the institution. | Available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
8.14 Student Administration & Support
This category contains information on how the institution manages the administration and progression of their students from admission to course completion, including student support services.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Course information | Degree programmes offered by the institution | Please visit the Study Here and Programme Specification webpages. |
| Recruitment and admissions | The institution's admissions procedures and policies | Please visit the How to Apply webpage, and the Admissions Policy and the Contextual Admissions Policy on the Regulations, Policies and Procedures webpage. |
| Fees and charges | Tuition fees and other charges to students | Please visit the Fees and Funding webpage. |
| Scholarships and bursaries | Scholarships and bursaries available to students | Please visit the Scholarships for New Students webpage |
| Registration | The institution's arrangements for registering students | Please visit the Induction webpage. |
| Induction | The institution's student induction arrangements | Please visit the Induction webpage. |
| Examinations | Arrangements for examinations | Please visit the Examinations and Assessment webpage. |
| Progression | Regulations governing student progression | Please visit the Assessment Regulations and the Board of Examiners Regulations on the Regulations, Policies and Procedures webpage. |
| Learning support provision | Description and availability of the academic and non-academic learning support provision offered by the institution. | Please visit the Services for Students, Library Services and the Effective Learning Service webpages. |
| Student liaison | The structure and functioning meetings of staff/student consultative committees or other liaison groups | Please see the Management Of Programmes Procedures and the Programme Leaders Handbook. |
| Student records | The institution's policies on the collection, maintenance and use of personal information about students | Please visit the Privacy Statement webpage. |
| Student discipline | The institution's policies and procedures for disciplinary proceedings against students | Please visit the Code of Conduct, Academic Appeals Regulations, and Student Disciplinary Regulations on the Regulations, Policies and Procedures webpage. |
| Student accommodation | Availability, conditions of use and range of accommodation services offered by the institution | Please visit the Accommodation webpage. |
| Graduation arrangements | Information about awards ceremonies | Please visit the Graduation webpage |
| Student complaints | Procedures for dealing with student complaints about the institution |
Please visit the University’s Complaints Procedure and Complaints Form on the Regulations, Policies and Procedures webpage. Please email Complaints@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Student facilities | Description of the academic, leisure and other facilities and services available exclusively to students | Please visit the Campus Life and Learning Facilities webpages. |
| Relationship with the Students Union/ Association | The legal and structural basis of the institution's relationships with the Students Union/Association | Please visit the on the website. |
| Students Union/ Association [1] | Information on the operation and activities of the Students Union / Association | Please visit the website. |
The Current Students webpage links to the following webpages:
General Information for Current QMU Students. Includes induction, examinations, managing your studies, graduation, document requests, term dates and fees and charges.
Current Student A - Z. Provides useful links, alphabetically, for current students.
Effective Learning Service. Offers guidance and support to all students who wish to develop their academic writing and study skills.
Thinking of Leaving. Make an informed decision with our help.
Student Experience at QMU. Ways to provide feedback to the University.
The Doctoral Candidates' Association (DCA). Information for doctoral candidates by doctoral candidates.
Services for Students. Sources of support to help you make the most of your time at University.
Library. Information on the Learning Resource Centre (LRC)
[1] Required only in cases where the institution has any legal responsibility or liability for ensuring that Students Unions (and similar Associations and organisations) are properly run.
8.15 Teaching Quality
This category contains information regarding the management of teaching quality in the institution including mechanisms for reviewing and ensuring the quality of teaching provided[2].
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Programme approval | Programme approval and monitoring arrangements | Please visit the Quality Assurance Handbook - Programme Development, Monitoring and Review, available on the Resources for Validation and Review webpages. |
| Assessment | Assessment procedures and summaries of reviews of their effectiveness |
Please visit the Assessment Regulations, within the Regulations tab, on the Regulations, Policies and Procedures webpage. External Examiners have oversight of assessment for individual programmes Annual summaries of External Examiner feedback are available on the Information on Quality at QMU webpage. |
| Student satisfaction | Summary results of any institutional mechanisms for measuring student satisfaction with their HE experience | Please visit the Student Experience at QMU webpage. |
| Institutional internal reviews | Summary of the findings of the institution’s own internal reviews of quality and standards | Annual Statements to the Funding Council are available on the Information on Quality at QMU webpage. |
| Professional accreditation of courses by external bodies | The nature of and duration of accreditation by professional, statutory or regulatory bodies, including accreditation and monitoring reports. |
Please visit relevant programmes on the Studying at Queen Margaret University webpage. Further information available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Validation | A description of courses where the institution acts as an external examination body or validates the examinations and qualifications of others, including ‘joint awards’. | Please visit the Partnerships webpage |
| Assessments of the institution’s provision by the QAA | QAA reports [3] | Please visit the website. |
[2] Information which institutions are required to make available by their Funding Council or by a regulatory body is information included in the ‘Government and Regulator Relations’ category (8.18).
[3] QAA: Quality Assurance Agency
8.16 Information Services
This category covers those functions within the institution that provide access to information for the student body and both academic and administrative staff. These include libraries, computing services, archive services, and information support services. Such functions may be managed separately from each other, or in various combinations. These services routinely explain their facilities (and the conditions of their use) to students, staff and the general public and it is information of this nature that is included within this category.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Library facilities | Availability and conditions of use of library facilities | Please visit the Library webpage. All relevant Policies relating to Library Services are available on the . |
| Computing facilities | Availability and conditions of use of computing facilities | Please visit the IT Services and Acceptable Usage Policy webpages. |
| Other information facilities | Availability and conditions of use of facilities | Please visit the Effective Learning Service website. |
| Major strategy documents | High-level aims and strategies of information services units |
The Learning Services Team are guided by the: Student Experience Strategy, available on the Quality Enhancement webpage; Infrastructure Strategy; and the Information Technology Strategy The Infrastructure Strategy and the Information Technology Strategy are available on request. Please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Collections | Scope of major collections held by the institution | There are no major collections held by the University. |
| Open archives | Information about records held by the institution’s archive facilities for permanent preservation and designated as open irrespective of the date of creation. |
The University archive is located within the Learning Resource Centre. Visits are by appointment only Please email LRChelp@qmu.ac.uk. |
| Other archive facilities and special collections | Description of the institution's archive facilities and special collections |
Withheld information
Material referenced by catalogues will generally be exempted as ‘otherwise accessible’ under s.25 of the Act, since it is available in terms of the ‘Library Facilities’ Category above.
8.17 External and Community Relations
This category covers information relating to the institution’s relationship with its external environment. These include how it manages its relationship with the local community and how it retains contact with its former staff and students.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Alumni | Arrangements for keeping in touch with former staff and students | Please visit the Alumni and Friends webpage. |
| Community Relations | Description of the facilities and services available to the local community | Please visit the QMU and the Community webpage. |
| Development activities | Promotional material relating to institutional fundraising objectives |
Please visit the Opportunities to Give webpage. Please contact development@qmu.ac.uk for additional information. See also our stakeholder magazine, QMYOU. We feature information on major donations and initiatives in the magazine. |
| Public Relations | Information created specifically to publicise facilities and activities. | Please visit the QMYOU webpage. QMYOU is our stakeholder magazine. Please also visit the News and Events section of our website. |
8.18 Government and Regulator Relations
This category covers information the institution provides to government and external regulators and information provided to the Scottish Funding Council for monitoring purposes.
| Category | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Funding body statistical reports and returns | Information that the institution is legally obliged to make available to its funding body |
Statistical returns to the Scottish Funding Council are available on request, please email FOI@qmu.ac.uk. The University’s Outcome Agreements are available to view on the website. Statistical returns to HESA are available to review on the website. The website details official data for undergraduate courses and the University’s satisfaction scores in the National Student Survey, and jobs and salaries data after study. |
| Other statutory reports | Information which the University is legally required to publish |
Other statutory reports are available to view on the following websites: |
