Appointment of the Chair of the University Court September 2020

We have a diverse body of 7,600 students, including nearly 2,500 studying with our partners overseas. Through collaborative agreements, students are studying for our degrees in India, Nepal, Greece, Singapore and Egypt.

Our students hail from over 90 countries and study across a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes offered in the School of Arts, Social Sciences and Management (ASSaM) and the School of Health Sciences. We also offer doctoral level studies through our Graduate School.

We offer students a transformative learning experience, providing the optimum balance of theoretical and practical education in a friendly and supportive environment. We provide them with a sense of belonging and enable them to achieve their individual goals and to contribute to society, whilst preparing them for successful careers. We will build on our existing success in widening participation to ensure that we fulfil people’s potential, whatever their background.

We have flagship areas of expertise in health and rehabilitation, sustainable business and creativity and culture. In line with our teaching, research and knowledge exchange work, the outputs of our flagship areas are designed to be thoroughly relevant to society’s needs.

Work within our flagship areas tackles issues ranging from developing a more person-centred approach to care delivery, to the development of healthcare systems across the world; from providing dialogue tools which allow marginalised groups to have their voices heard, to giving people their voice more literally through innovations in speech therapy; and from improving eye witness testimony, enhancing child wellbeing to promoting growth in Scotland’s family enterprises.

This flagship area is underpinned by our portfolio of health programmes. We have the widest range of allied health professional programmes of any university in Scotland. Our adult nurse programme is consistently ranked in the top four in the National Student Survey (NSS) and in the Times/Sunday Times and Guardian League tables. Community healthcare is a strength across all programmes, and particularly in Nursing. We aim to grow our offer in this area with a view to becoming an integrated health community.

We have capitalised on our broad range of health courses to become leaders in inter-professional education, This ensures that our teaching and research reaches beyond the limits of any one profession, providing fresh insights and helping to ensure that healthcare professionals from different areas understand self and their role in a team, whilst learning to work together to provide positive consequences for patient care.

Our research is focused on the person, policy and practice, and therefore has an immediate practical impact on service delivery and health care provision.

Our work has a global reach. One example is our Institute for Global Health and Development (IGHD) which is a multi- disciplinary centre for research and postgraduate education that addresses contemporary health and development challenges in low and middle income countries and their connection to global systems and trends. Another is our work in international nurse education and research, which sees us develop nursing faculty academic staff in overseas colleges and universities in Egypt, Greece and Singapore.

Our knowledge exchange group in Food Development and Innovation is gaining reputation in sensory tasting and new product development.

Our vision in the Queen Margaret Business School is to inspire moral, ethical, and sustainable practices in management. In addition to our flexible routes in Business Management, including our recently launched Graduate Apprenticeships, we offer internationally recognised programmes in hospitality and tourism, with students on our programmes in various countries across the world.

Long recognised for our work in creativity and culture, we bring together film, media, public relations, communication and performing arts students in one academic school to maximise opportunities for inter-disciplinary work. This flagship area also encompasses psychology and sociology, including our recently launched MSc in Public Sociology.

We are well known for our performing arts programmes. In these programmes, our approach is to challenge conventional assumptions, to encourage our students to embrace a variety of aesthetic practices and to build collaborative partnerships that will feed the industry of tomorrow.

We have expertise in cultural arts management and produce graduates who go on to make a real impact in the cultural sector. We undertake research into cultural policy, and are a leading provider of education in public relations, with a particular expertise in dialogue.

Our social science degree programmes maintain a strong academic and disciplinary base, whilst offering contemporary applications and socially engaged, applied content. We are socially engaged and community-facing, providing a highly regarded, collaborative teaching and research environment.

Research and knowledge exchange centres and groups relevant to the area of creativity and culture:

• Centre for Applied Social Sciences;
• Centre for Dialogue and Public Engagement;
• Centre for Communication, Cultural and Media Studies;
• Memory Research Group.
• Portfolio Growth: Initial Teacher Education

In 2018, we were delighted to be selected by the Scottish Government to deliver a new suite of initial teacher education programmes. Delivery of these programmes, and the development of a new generation of teachers, builds on our enduring commitment to making a real difference in the world, today and for future generations.

Our programmes offer a fresh approach to teaching - one grounded in practice and a robust foundation of social sciences. Our BA (Hons) Education Studies (Primary) provides a professional qualification to teach in primary schools, while our BA (Hons) Education Studies is a broad-based social sciences degree, with an emphasis on education. Our undergraduate offering is complemented by the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) Secondary (Home Economics).

These new programmes have been designed to meet the challenges, as well as recognise the rewards, of teaching children and young people in the 21st century. The curriculum will actively engage students in contemporary issues in psychology and sociology, and develop in them a sound knowledge base of children’s developmental pathways. This will include exploration of the range of factors that affect pupils, including, for example, the impact of poverty and deprivation in early years. Students will learn also about global health and learning inequality, the impact of adversities, such as homelessness, neglect and migration, and the importance of creativity and the natural environment for our wellbeing.

The Court is the governing body of Queen Margaret University. Awarded University title in 2007, the University is a company limited by guarantee and a charity registered with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. Court members are consequently Directors and also Charitable Trustees.

Students at Queen Margaret benefit from our friendly and supportive staff, a purpose-built, innovative campus with a dedicated Learning Resource Centre, and a range of career-enhancing extracurricular opportunities. We are committed to continuous enhancement of our teaching methods, from work-based learning to an online virtual learning environment.

As an institution of ideas and influence, we create and share knowledge that reaches and impacts a broad range of regional and international stakeholders. We work at the intersection of conventional disciplinary groupings to create innovative approaches to contemporary societal challenges and public discourse, and to identify entrepreneurial opportunities both locally and internationally. We have developed a reputation for working with business and commerce undertaking research contracts, consultancy, and providing training courses tailored to client needs.

In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014), over 58% of the University’s overall research was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. Amongst the highlights was our success in Speech and Language Sciences, with 92% of our research in this field classed as internationally excellent or world leading. The Times Higher Education singled us out as a ‘notable riser’ in terms of REF performance.

The value of our work is measured by its impact and the social usefulness, practicality and applicability of its outcomes. Queen Margaret University is committed to the application of translational research to influence public discourse beyond academia, including policy makers, industry, public sector, voluntary and community sectors, and the wider public. We play a key role in thought leadership on economic and societal impact, how it is measured and how it should be used. From fostering long-term practice and innovation in the public or private sector; understanding the potential of expertise and evidence; or identifying a route to a more sustainable trajectory, many of today’s most pressing problems require the kind of interdisciplinary research for which QMU is widely recognised as an international leader.

In 2017, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of our move to our current campus, the development of which was the first new University Campus in Scotland for a generation and the first of the 21st Century. Our campus, recognised as an exemplar in sustainability within the higher education sector nationally and internationally, is a physical example of our commitment to sustainability and is the foundation upon which our vision and strategy for sustainability continue to develop. The campus has become an intrinsic part of the University’s brand, and is a significant attraction for students, parents and staff. It has supported greatly progress towards fulfilling our vision of being a university of ideas and influence. Airy and bright, it offers a real community feel, with ready access to student services, food outlets, student accommodation, sports facilities, beautiful grounds, and plenty of places for socialising. The Students’ Union also occupies a building on site.

Looking to the future, we recognise many opportunities for the further development of our estate, including the development of the Edinburgh Innovation Park on the land next to our campus as part of the Edinburgh & South East Scotland City Region Deal. Last summer it was confirmed that Government funding of £30 million has been pledged to contribute towards this joint development by QMU and East Lothian Council, which forms part of a broader masterplan including a commercial hub on campus.

Eligible candidates must demonstrate that they meet the following essential criteria to enable them to fulfil effectively the role and responsibilities required of the Chair:

In line with the requirements set out in the Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Act 2016, the appointment process for the Chair comprises three distinct stages: application; interview; and election.

The time commitment for the role will vary, but is likely to amount to not less than one day per week on average, with some additional time for reading. The Chair of Court must be available to provide informal support to the Principal and Vice Chancellor, the University Secretary and members of Court.

The date of appointment will be agreed with the appointee, but will be before March 2021. The appointment is for a period of three years. This period may be extended by the University Court for up to a further 3 years on the recommendation of the Nominations Committee.

An honorarium for the position is offered at the rate of £300 per day, to a maximum of £15k per annum (based on 50 days commitment annually).

Reasonable travel and subsistence expenses can be claimed for attendance at Court and Committee meetings or other duties carried out at the request of Court. The rates of expenses claimable are the same as for members of staff under the University’s Travel and Expenses Policy.

Please note that this position is not superannuable.

LINKS TO KEY INFORMATION SOURCES