1st May 2024

In this week's Student News:

Disability Literacy in Schools Website Launch

Thursday, 9th May, 2024, 1600-1730

At Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, we have been developing resources for use in educational settings, to encourage positive discussions of disability and to help children understand the importance of recognizing the different needs and abilities of everyone around them.

We are launching our new website which contains an array of free to use educational resources including an activities pack, instructional videos and directory of other resources.

We will also be launching an online short course for Education professionals, running from September 2024.

Please join us on 9 May 2024 online or on campus in the Halle Lecture Theatre at QMU 1600-1730 to learn more about our evidence base and resources.

You need to register to book your place: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/queenmargaretuniversity1/1207938

Registration closes on 7 May 2024.

If you need BSL interpretation please let us know by 23 April 2024.

For more information, email:: ToyResearchGroup@qmu.ac.uk

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SHIFT 2024

Calling all QMU Cultural and Creative Industries students! Deadline Friday 28^th June 2024

Applications for SHIFT 2024 are now open!

This free, unique and collaborative training programme will equip you with the practical, creative and business skills and contacts that you'll need for a career in the cultural and creative industries.

SHIFT will run from 2nd - 6th September 2024 via a series of online workshops, breakout conversations, creative activities and one-to-one clinics.

You’ll work with practitioners from The Glasgow School of Art and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, building a new network of creatives from a range of disciplines.

The programme is open to all arts and creative industries students at QMU and to those who graduated in 2022 and 2023.

Topics covered over the week include:

Budgeting
Costing for your time and products
Fundraising
Marketing
Time management
Branding
Networking
Legal issues
Money management and taxes

For more information and to apply visit https://shiftintoyourfuture.com/

Applications close Friday 28^th June 2024.

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Graduation 2024

Graduation invites have been issued by email to all students who may be potentially eligible to graduate in July 2024. If you have not received an email to either your QMU or personal email address but think you should have received a Graduation invite, please email Graduation@qmu.ac.uk

Full details for Graduation can be found at: https://www.qmu.ac.uk/current-students/current-students-general-information/graduation/

24th April 2024

In this week's Student News:

QMU Sport & Fitness: staff & student Pickleball sessions

Dive into the exciting world of Pickleball with QMU Sport & Fitness!

Ready for a thrilling experience? Join us for our new Pickleball sessions, open to both staff and students!

What is Pickleball?

Pickleball is a fantastic blend of badminton, tennis, and table tennis, suitable for all skill levels! It's easy to learn and incredibly fun!

When?

Every Tuesday from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a curious beginner, drop in whenever suits you best! Sessions start on Tuesday 16^th April.

Who's Leading?

Meet Christos Theodorakopoulos, QMU academic and Pickleball Scotland Ambassador, who will guide you through the ins and outs of this exhilarating sport!

First Session FREE!

We're offering your first session on the house! Come along, join the fun, and discover the joy of Pickleball with us!

All following sessions are £5.80 for non-members or free with your Sport & Fitness membership.

Equipment Provided!

No need to worry about gear – we've got you covered with all the necessary equipment!

Ready to smash, volley, and have a blast? Don't miss out – mark your calendars and join us for a session packed with fun and fitness!

Please register your interest by email to sportsreception@qmu.ac.uk

See you on the court!

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Horizon Desktop Maintenance Monday 29th April 20:00

Information Technology Services (ITS) need to perform critical maintenance on Horizon infrastructure on Monday 29^th April at 20:00.
The desktop will be unavailable on Monday between 20:00 – 22:00

We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this essential work.

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LAST CHANCE to complete the NSS and have your say!

If you’re a final year UG student, this is your LAST CHANCE to share your views on QMU and speak out on everything from the teaching on your course, access to resources and equipment, and even about the student voice!

The National Student Survey will close on 30 April 2024 so make sure you don’t miss out.

Your views can make a difference. With your feedback, we can understand better what we are doing well, and can look at what changes or improvements can be made for the benefit of future students. Remember, the NSS is anonymised, so you can give your open, honest feedback.

Complete the survey at www.thestudentsurvey.com

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Surveys Winners Announced: £50 Amazon Voucher Prize Draws!

We are thrilled to announce the winners of the £50 Amazon vouchers from our recent student surveys! Your participation has been invaluable in helping us understand your needs and improve your university experience.

Without further ado, here are the lucky winners:

QMU Student Survey (QSS)

Programme: BA (Hons) in Business Management

Winner: Luke Mercer

QMU Engagement Survey (UKES)

Programme: BSc in Paramedic Science

Winner: Ozzy Ozkan

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES)

Programme: International Health Scheme

Winner: Kelechi Nwoko

Congratulations to all the winners!

And thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the surveys. Your feedback is crucial in shaping the future of the QMU. The anonymised survey results are shared with academic and professional services staff and will be considered at the Student Experience Committee.

Stay tuned for more opportunities to have your voice heard and win exciting prizes, like the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) and the National Student Survey (NSS) with the prizes to be drawn in May!

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The Edinburgh Merchant Company Enterprise Fund - call for student entrepreneurs! Deadline Sunday 28th April 2024

The Edinburgh Merchant Company Enterprise Fund 2024 is now open for applications!

This fund supports current QMU students, staff and graduates to achieve their business ideas, with awards ranging from £500 - £5,000.

This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone with a business idea that they are looking to pursue so, if you are interested, please review the following resources:

For more information regarding eligibility criteria and the competition process, please refer to the Guidelines For Applicants.
Applications should be made via the Edinburgh Merchant Company Enterprise Fund 2024 Application Form before 23:59 on Sunday 28th April 2024.
Please note, a cashflow forecast is also required as part of the application process, and must be submitted via email to rkedu@qmu.ac.uk.

Please direct any queries about the funding or application process to rkedu@qmu.ac.uk

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Business Creation Course for Women

Edinburgh Napier University and Women’s Enterprise Scotland are to deliver a business creation course for women, and QMU staff, students and alumni are invited to attend!

The course will run from 14:00 – 16:00 each Wednesday from 24^th April to 5^th June (6 weeks) via a mix of online and in-person sessions, and offers:

Skills assessment and development
Idea generation tailored to your interests
Practical business planning tools
Strategies to attract customers and set prices

Further information and the registration form can be found here.

An in-person information session will be held at Napier’s Craiglockhart campus from 17:00 – 18:00 on Monday 15^th April and an online information session will be held from 12:00 – 12:45 on Tuesday 16^th April – to register for either information event, please email Emma Ives at e.ives@napier.ac.uk.

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Effective Learning Service: Summer Resit Programme

The Resit Support Programme will be running from Wednesday 19^th June – Tuesday 2^nd July this year. This is two weeks of flexible support (online options available) to help you succeed with resit exams and assignments. You will be able to:

Work with a personal study mentor who will offer help and feedback.
Reflect on areas to improve and develop your skills.
Attend ELS online workshops on a range of academic skills.

If this sounds helpful for you, please book a place online at: https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/student-services/effective-learning-service-els/help-with-resits/

Who can attend?

All students are welcome to apply, though priority is given to 1^st and 2^nd year students.

How can students book?

Students can book online: https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/student-services/effective-learning-service-els/help-with-resits/ or can contact ELS@qmu.ac.uk for more information.

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Disability Literacy in Schools Website Launch

Thursday, 9th May, 2024, 1600-1730

At Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, we have been developing resources for use in educational settings, to encourage positive discussions of disability and to help children understand the importance of recognizing the different needs and abilities of everyone around them.

We are launching our new website which contains an array of free to use educational resources including an activities pack, instructional videos and directory of other resources.

We will also be launching an online short course for Education professionals, running from September 2024.

Please join us on 9 May 2024 online or on campus in the Halle Lecture Theatre at QMU 1600-1730 to learn more about our evidence base and resources.

You need to register to book your place: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/queenmargaretuniversity1/1207938

Registration closes on 7 May 2024.

If you need BSL interpretation please let us know by 23 April 2024.

For more information, email:: ToyResearchGroup@qmu.ac.uk

17h April 2024

In this week's Student News:

Horizon Desktop Maintenance Monday 29th April 20:00

Information Technology Services (ITS) need to perform critical maintenance on Horizon infrastructure on Monday 29^th April at 20:00.
The desktop will be unavailable on Monday between 20:00 – 22:00

We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this essential work.

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Call for Proposals: Festival of Learning 2024 - Recipes for Belonging, 21 May 2024

Calling all students and staff!

We are pleased to announce that registrations to our next QMU Festival of Learning are open and you can book a place here.

We welcome proposals from all students and staff across QMU to share their approaches to fostering belonging at QMU. You can find out more information on content and formats here.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the proposal, please contact Vikki Hill in the LEAD Centre: vhill@qmu.ac.uk

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Monthly QMU Innovation and Enterprise Drop In - 24 April 2024, 2.00 - 3.00pm (in-person, BIZ - Business Innovation Zone)

Informal drop in with the Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Unit (RKEDU) team who will be available to answer any questions or provide you with more information on QMU support and opportunities for innovation and enterprise.

Facilitator: Members of RKEDU

Register here

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Your 2024/25 Officers' Committee!

The SU are pleased to announce the winners of this year's Student Elections! The new Sabbatical and Part-time Officers will take up post on the 10th of June 2024.

We'd like to thank all the candidates who took part in the campaign.

President - Academic Life: Jay Brown

President - Student Activities: Silvia Cardinale

EDI Officer: Murrin Huarachi

International Officer: Badri Basnet

Post-Graduate Officer: Charly Grant

Societies Officer: Zoë McCallum

Sports Officer: Ruth Lawlor

Student Voice Officer: Annie-Mae Brown

Wellbeing Officer: Kirsty Lorimer

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Under-represented Student Focus Groups

In collaboration with the university, the SU are aiming to host focus groups to give students from under-represented groups a chance to share first-hand what they believe the university and the Students' Union could do to best support their needs. The dates and times for the focus groups are:

April 19^th 1-2pm online (Teams)

April 22^nd 2-3pm online (Teams)

April 25^th 3-4pm online (Teams)

Participants will be given a £10 Amazon voucher for their contributions in helping us enhance the student experience and ensuring more effective representation for our student cohorts.

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Effective Learning Service: Summer Resit Programme

The Resit Support Programme will be running from Wednesday 19^th June – Tuesday 2^nd July this year. This is two weeks of flexible support (online options available) to help you succeed with resit exams and assignments. You will be able to:

Work with a personal study mentor who will offer help and feedback.
Reflect on areas to improve and develop your skills.
Attend ELS online workshops on a range of academic skills.

If this sounds helpful for you, please book a place online at: https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/student-services/effective-learning-service-els/help-with-resits/

Who can attend?

All students are welcome to apply, though priority is given to 1^st and 2^nd year students.

How can students book?

Students can book online: https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/student-services/effective-learning-service-els/help-with-resits/ or can contact ELS@qmu.ac.uk for more information.

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QMU Sport & Fitness: staff & student Pickleball sessions

Dive into the exciting world of Pickleball with QMU Sport & Fitness!

Ready for a thrilling experience? Join us for our new Pickleball sessions, open to both staff and students!

What is Pickleball?
Pickleball is a fantastic blend of badminton, tennis, and table tennis, suitable for all skill levels! It's easy to learn and incredibly fun!

When?
Every Tuesday from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a curious beginner, drop in whenever suits you best! Sessions start on Tuesday 16th April.

Who's Leading?
Meet Christos Theodorakopoulos, QMU academic and Pickleball Scotland Ambassador, who will guide you through the ins and outs of this exhilarating sport!

First Session FREE!
We're offering your first session on the house! Come along, join the fun, and discover the joy of Pickleball with us!
All following sessions are £5.80 for non-members or free with your Sport & Fitness membership.

Equipment Provided!
No need to worry about gear – we've got you covered with all the necessary equipment!

Ready to smash, volley, and have a blast? Don't miss out – mark your calendars and join us for a session packed with fun and fitness!

Please register your interest by email to sportsreception@qmu.ac.uk

See you on the court!

______________________________________________

Disability Literacy in Schools Website Launch

Thursday, 9th May, 2024, 1600-1730

At Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, we have been developing resources for use in educational settings, to encourage positive discussions of disability and to help children understand the importance of recognizing the different needs and abilities of everyone around them.

We are launching our new website which contains an array of free to use educational resources including an activities pack, instructional videos and directory of other resources.

We will also be launching an online short course for Education professionals, running from September 2024.

Please join us on 9 May 2024 online or on campus in the Halle Lecture Theatre at QMU 1600-1730 to learn more about our evidence base and resources.

You need to register to book your place: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/queenmargaretuniversity1/1207938

Registration closes on 7 May 2024.

If you need BSL interpretation please let us know by 23 April 2024.

For more information, email: ToyResearchGroup@qmu.ac.uk

10th April 2024

In this week's Student News:

Do you have a food or drink product or service idea?

Are you a budding food & drink or rural entrepreneur?
Do you want to improve your business skills and product development knowledge?
Do you want to network with other entrepreneurs in Scotland’s food & drink and rural sector?

The THRIVE programme is for the next generation of entrepreneurs in Scotland’s food & drink and rural sector. Participants will gain essential business skills and product development knowledge to support their business idea – whether product or service - including concept development, planning, marketing, pitching, packaging, labelling, sensory and access to general business support information. Whether your idea is a food or drink product or a rural diversification, this programme could benefit you.

A combination of webinars and interactive workshops will be carried out between August and November 2024. You can view the full programme here

Delivered by industry experts at SAC Consulting / SRUC and the Scottish Centre for Food Development and Innovation / QMU

This programme is open to Scottish;

Students
Graduates
Start-up food and drink businesses

A Certificate of Attendance is provided for attending THRIVE sessions.

The THRIVE programme is supported by the Scottish Funding Council’s University Innovation Fund, the £25 fee is a registration admin fee.

To apply for the programme please complete this Eventbrite registration

Any questions please email: HelloSCFDI@qmu.ac.uk

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QMU Costume Showcase 2024

Costume Design & Construction Students Present QMU Costume Showcase 2024

The Costume Showcase is a 50-minute fast-moving catwalk display of the amazing, historical, fantastical, weird, and wonderfully bold and beautiful costumes designed and created by the students of Queen Margaret University’s BA (Hons) Costume Design and Construction Course.

The Costumes will be presented on the Catwalk by student models from across the Performing Arts Department, with special thanks to our partners from BA (Hons) Acting and Performance

In addition to the show, there will also be a Graduate Exhibition in the Traverse Bar.

The whole production will be supported by a massive backstage team of student dressers, stage crew and technicians, who are all crucial to the show.

Come and celebrate the exciting creativity of the next generation of costume talent!

Photograph by Robin Mitchell

The show will run over two days with an evening performance at 7:30pm on April 26th and a matinee at 12pm on April 27. Tickets are available from £5.

Location: Traverse Theatre

Date & Time: 26/04/2024 19:30pm and 27/04/2024 21:30

Cost: £5-£12

Ticket Link:https://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on/event/qmu-costume-showcase-2024-spring-24

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ICURe Engage call for applications – deadline 19^th April 2024

ICURe are accepting applications to the Engage programme, running from 1st May - 7th June 2024.

ICURe Engage is a 4-week, part-time programme that enables participants to identify potential beneficiaries of research, introduces tools for commercialisation, and fosters consideration of entrepreneurship as a pathway for achieving societal impact and a viable career choice.

It is open to research students, Post-Docs and technicians from all disciplines who are interested in entrepreneurship. Participants do not need to already have a business idea, as the programme introduces them to ICURe and provides the space and opportunity to think about entrepreneurship differently.

ICURe Engage will be delivered online, and applications close on 19th April 2024.

Successful applicants must attend a 1-hour welcome call on Wednesday 1st May, and a 2-day bootcamp on 7th and 8th May.

You can access more information about ICURe Engage and apply here.

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The Edinburgh Merchant Company Enterprise Fund - call for student entrepreneurs! Deadline Sunday 28th April 2024

The Edinburgh Merchant Company Enterprise Fund 2024 is now open for applications!

This fund supports current QMU students, staff and graduates to achieve their business ideas, with awards ranging from £500 - £5,000.

This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone with a business idea that they are looking to pursue so, if you are interested, please review the following resources:

For more information regarding eligibility criteria and the competition process, please refer to the Guidelines For Applicants.
Applications should be made via the Edinburgh Merchant Company Enterprise Fund 2024 Application Form before 23:59 on Sunday 28th April 2024.
Please note, a cashflow forecast is also required as part of the application process, and must be submitted via email to rkedu@qmu.ac.uk.

Please direct any queries about the funding or application process to rkedu@qmu.ac.uk.

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Santander Universities Enterprise Fund – call for student entrepreneurs! Deadline Friday 19th April 2024

The Santander Universities Enterprise Fund 2024 is now open for applications!

This fund supports current QMU students and recent graduates (those who graduated within the past 48 months) to achieve their entrepreneurial ambitions, with awards ranging from £1,000 - £2,500.

This is a fantastic opportunity for any students with a business idea that they are looking to pursue!

For more information regarding eligibility criteria and the competition process, please refer to the Guidelines For Applicants.

Applications should be made via the Santander Universities Enterprise Fund 2024 Application Form before 23:59 on Friday 19th April 2024.

Please direct any queries about the funding or application process to santander@qmu.ac.uk

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3rd April 2024

In this week's Student News

Papercut (printing) update

Essential maintenance work is happening on the Papercut (printing) infrastructure between 17:00pm to 20:00pm Wednesday 3rd April. The work is security fixes and general improvements.

Users should stop printing before 5pm on Wednesday 3rd April. During that period, no printing at all can take place. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the essential work.

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Queen Margaret University Travel Survey

https://forms.office.com/e/wbAbWVKE0Z

Students and staff have the chance to added to the prize draw for a chance to win a £50 online sustainable gift shop voucher should they complete the survey and input their email address.

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Claims for Extenuating Circumstances

As we are now in the Semester 2 Period for coursework submissions and examinations, please read the following important information carefully as this will help you if you need to submit an Extenuating Circumstances claim or request an extension for coursework.

The Extenuating Circumstances Guidelines are available at the following: https://www.qmu.ac.uk/current-students/current-students-general-information/manage-your-studies/extenuating-circumstances/

Before the Submission Deadline or Start of Examination. If you know in advance that you will not be able to submit a piece of coursework or sit an exam, due to circumstances within the University’s Extenuating Circumstances guidelines, you must complete an Extenuating Circumstances Form, available on the QMU Student Portal with supporting evidence, no later than the submission deadline or the start of the exam. This information will be reviewed by your Programme Leader in the first instance, and you will be notified if your claim has been upheld in due course.

After the Start of Examination or Assessment Submission Deadline There are occasions where you may find you were unable to sit an examination or submit an assessment by the submission deadline and/or you have experienced circumstance/s which have significantly affected your academic studies, and due to these circumstances you have been unable to notify the University in advance, If this applies to you, you must complete an Extenuating Circumstances Form, available on the QMU Student Portal with supporting evidence, no later than Friday 10^th May 2024.

Your claim will be considered by the Extenuating Circumstances Panel on Wednesday 15^th May 2024. You will be notified by email if your claim has been upheld within 1 week of the Panel meeting. This information will also be reflected in the QMU Student portal.

Please note that Academic Appeals on the grounds of extenuating circumstances will not be accepted where there is evidence that the circumstances that form the basis of the submission could have been submitted to the Extenuating Circumstances Panel by the published deadline, and the student has no grounds for not submitting by that deadline.

Please remember the deadline for the consideration by the Extenuating Circumstances Panel is no later than Friday 10^th May 2024.

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Cooking Made Simple

Student? Tired of having to eat pot noodles or microwaveable meals? Feel like you don’t have enough time to prepare nutritious and wholesome meals? Cost of living affecting your food shops?

Perhaps this event could be for you!

We have prepared for you a fun and interactive day of back-to-basic cooking, culinary confidence building activities, discussions on nutrition, wellbeing and how to cope during the cost of living increasing as a student

Lunch, coffee, tea & tray-bakes all included!

On the day you’ll take make & take home:

Three tasty soups
Recipe packs
Meal prep containers
And the chance to win vouchers for Maki & Ramen, Ikigai Ramen & The Royal Yacht Britannia…!

Please feel free to share and suggest to anyone you think would be interested or benefit from this event

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Santander Universities Enterprise Fund – call for student entrepreneurs! Deadline Friday 19th April 2024

The Santander Universities Enterprise Fund 2024 is now open for applications!

This fund supports current QMU students and recent graduates (those who graduated within the past 48 months) to achieve their entrepreneurial ambitions, with awards ranging from £1,000 - £2,500.

This is a fantastic opportunity for any students with a business idea that they are looking to pursue!

For more information regarding eligibility criteria and the competition process, please refer to the Guidelines For Applicants.

Applications should be made via the Santander Universities Enterprise Fund 2024 Application Form before 23:59 on Friday 19th April 2024.

Please direct any queries about the funding or application process to santander@qmu.ac.uk.

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The Edinburgh Merchant Company Enterprise Fund - call for student entrepreneurs! Deadline Sunday 28th April 2024

The Edinburgh Merchant Company Enterprise Fund 2024 is now open for applications!

This fund supports current QMU students, staff and graduates to achieve their business ideas, with awards ranging from £500 - £5,000.

This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone with a business idea that they are looking to pursue so, if you are interested, please review the following resources:

For more information regarding eligibility criteria and the competition process, please refer to the Guidelines For Applicants.
Applications should be made via the Edinburgh Merchant Company Enterprise Fund 2024 Application Form before 23:59 on Sunday 28th April 2024.
Please note, a cashflow forecast is also required as part of the application process, and must be submitted via email to rkedu@qmu.ac.uk.

Please direct any queries about the funding or application process to rkedu@qmu.ac.uk.

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Come and view the plans for the Future Spaces development of the LRC

Monday between 10am and 12pm and Friday 1pm and 3pm

We will be displaying the current proposed layouts and concepts for the redeveloped spaces in the LRC as part of the Future Spaces project. Staff will be on hand at the times above to outline the plans and to answer any questions that you may have. The proposals will remain on display between those times for further viewing.

For further information please contact Ken Dick kdick1@qmu.ac.uk

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27th March 2024

In this week's Student News:

The Helpdesk Survey- Be in with a chance to win a £50 Amazon e-voucher!

Be in with a chance to win a £50 Amazon e-voucher by completing The Helpdesk survey!

The views and experiences of all our customers are extremely important to us.

We welcome your feedback and are continually looking at ways in which we can improve our service.

Please help us by completing this short survey.

Actions from this survey will be published via the Helpdesk intranet page.

Closing date for the survey is Sunday 31st March!

Many thanks and good luck!

The Helpdesk Team

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Santander Universities Enterprise Fund – call for student entrepreneurs! Deadline Friday 19 April 2024

The Santander Universities Enterprise Fund 2024 is now open for applications!

This fund supports current QMU students and recent graduates (those who graduated within the past 48 months) to achieve their entrepreneurial ambitions, with awards ranging from £1,000 - £2,500.

This is a fantastic opportunity for any students with a business idea that they are looking to pursue!

For more information regarding eligibility criteria and the competition process, please refer to the Guidelines For Applicants.

Applications should be made via the Santander Universities Enterprise Fund 2024 Application Form before 23:59 on Friday 19th April 2024.

Please direct any queries about the funding or application process to santander@qmu.ac.uk.

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Dive into entrepreneurship with the SFF LEARN programme! Deadline 11 April 2024 at 11am

The LEARN programme is delivered by the Start For Future consortium and will enable you to develop your enterprise and entrepreneurial skills by working on solutions to some of the key challenges facing Europe.

Your student team will be connected to business coaches, domain experts, innovative start-ups and other student groups from across Europe to participate in a series of 5 online workshops during which you'll learn about business modelling, identifying target markets, creating prototypes, and more!

Don't miss out! Apply before 11am on 4th April 2024 and start your future, your way!

For more information, contact clow@qmu.ac.uk

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Fire Drill – Monday 1^st April 2024. 2pm

Please be advised that the annual announced fire drill will take place in the Main Academic Building on Monday 1^st April 2024. At 2pm.

During the drill, everyone must evacuate the building immediately using the nearest exit and move to the closest assembly point. Once you reach the assembly point, please wait for further instructions. Your nearest exit may not be the one you normally use so please follow the emergency exit signs.

We encourage everyone to follow the evacuation procedures as if it were a real emergency. This will help us ensure that everyone is prepared to act quickly and safely in case of an actual fire.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Campus Operations

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Papercut (printing) update

Essential maintenance work is happening on the Papercut (printing) infrastructure between 17:00pm to 20:00pm Wednesday 3rd April. The work is security fixes and general improvements.

Users should stop printing before 5pm on Wednesday 3^rd April. During that period, no printing at all can take place. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the essential work.

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CLOSURE OF FINANCE RECEPTION/OFFICE

Please note that due to on-going training, the Finance Office Reception will be closed all day on Thursday, 28^th March, 2024. Staff will be unavailable in the office.

We will respond to emails as quickly as we can on Friday, 29^th March.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

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20th March 2024

In this Week's Student News:

The Helpdesk Survey- Be in with a chance to win a £50 Amazon e-voucher!

Be in with a chance to win a £50 Amazon e-voucher by completing The Helpdesk survey!

The views and experiences of all our customers are extremely important to us.

We welcome your feedback and are continually looking at ways in which we can improve our service.

Please help us by completing this short survey.

Actions from this survey will be published via the Helpdesk intranet page.

Closing date for the survey is Sunday 31st March!

Many thanks and good luck!

The Helpdesk Team

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Room Housekeeping

We have received feedback that some teaching rooms are not being left in an appropriate state after student bookings. Each room has a set layout for the chairs and tables (if applicable), and the Facilities Support team should not need to reset the room layout between teaching unless a new room layout has been requested.
You are welcome to make any adjustments to seating in the room while you are using it to suit your needs. However, please ensure that the room is returned to a suitable state before the end of your booking. Kindly leave the room as you would expect to find it.

Thank you.
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Catering online survey - one week left to give us your feedback

The annual catering survey is open for the rest of this week, so Monday 18^th – Friday 22^nd March, and is conducted by our independent catering consultancy, Litmus Partnership.

Have you tried our new catering outlets? What do you think of our new menus and service offers? These are just a couple of the questions we need your views on.

The information collected will be benchmarked against the survey results from last year to allow us to measure the difference in customer satisfaction levels.

So please can we ask you to take 5 minutes to fill in our online survey. You may be in with a chance of winning one of 3 x £50 Amazon vouchers! You can fill in the online survey here.

Look out for posters dotted about campus and social media which also contain the link for the survey.

Many thanks.
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Hearing marginalised voices through film: a lunchtime event to experience refugee perspectives on displaced Palestinian and middle eastern people.

Friday 22^nd March 12-30 - 2pm : Room 2109.

Walid Salhab's multi award winning short films, focusing on the migration and displacement of Palestinian people and the refugee experience, will be shown and discussed (including his latest short film made in December and banned from TikTok). The work takes a decolonised approach and shares the unique perspective of middle eastern local people - please bring your lunch and join our brave space to listen and talk about these important issues.

To prepare for the event, it might be useful to listen to Walid's podcast :

Interview with filmmaker Walid Salhab: From Tripoli to Edinburgh – a life of hope and creativity

This event is part of the work of the Voice, Agency and Representation research group.
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Friday 19 April 2024

The Santander Universities Enterprise Fund 2024 is now open for applications!

This fund supports current QMU students and recent graduates (those who graduated within the past 48 months) to achieve their entrepreneurial ambitions, with awards ranging from £1,000 - £2,500.
This is a fantastic opportunity for any students with a business idea that they are looking to pursue!

For more information regarding eligibility criteria and the competition process, please refer to the Guidelines For Applicants.
Applications should be made via the Santander Universities Enterprise Fund 2024 Application Form before 23:59 on Friday 19th April 2024.

Please direct any queries about the funding or application process to santander@qmu.ac.uk.
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Opportunity for your students to develop entrepreneurial skills with the SFF LEARN programme! Deadline 4 April 2024 at 11am

The LEARN programme is delivered by the Start For Future consortium and will enable you to develop your enterprise and entrepreneurial skills by working on solutions to some of the key challenges facing Europe.

Your student team will be connected to business coaches, domain experts, innovative start-ups and other student groups from across Europe to participate in a series of 5 online workshops during which you'll learn about business modelling, identifying target markets, creating prototypes, and more!

Don't miss out! Apply before 11am on 4th April 2024 and start your future, your way!

For more information, contact clow@qmu.ac.uk
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Thursday 21 March - Foraging Walk and Seed Swap

Outdoor Learning Hub at QMU: Allotment

Foraging Walk and Seed Swap

21^st March, 2-4pm

Table outside Guthrie’s

Support the allotment with a seed swap

Do you have vegetable, flower or other plant seeds you’re not going to use? Please bring them along to our seed swap event. If there are seeds you’d like to take, please leave a donation for the allotment.

Join us for a local foraging walk

Spring is the time for foraging for salad greens, spring flowers and shoots, and medicinal plants. Join us on a walk around the local area to find spring’s edible plants, learn about responsible foraging and get ideas for recipes. Depart from the table outside Guthrie’s at just after 2pm. Will be back by 4pm but welcome to head back to campus whenever works for you. Bring a bag!

13th March 2023

In this weeks student news:

East Lothian Green Futures Festival will take place on campus at QMU on Saturday 16^th March 2024 between 10am and 3pm.

What to Expect?
Inspirational talks, practical workshops, showcase of local activities and climate visions for a bright future. This festival will bring together individuals, community groups and organisations to share and learn about amazing work already taking place in East Lothian and build a vision for a positive future for our environment and people.

Engaging talks

Interactive workshops to empower and educate
Showcase of local and national projects making a difference and drop in advice clinics
Fun for the family

Live music and food to buy on site.

The event is a free event and open to all the community. Come along for a day filled with inspiration, education, and action at the East Lothian Green Futures Festival, organised by the new East Lothian Climate Hub!

For more information and updates https://sccan.scot/elcan

Turn your idea into a business with the Converge Challenge! - Deadline 3 April 2024

Do you have a passion for innovation and invention, but not sure how to turn your idea into a reality? It’s time to apply for the Converge Challenge!

Regardless of your background and entrepreneurial readiness, if you know the ‘why’ behind your business, the Converge Challenge can help you with the ‘how.’

Working in partnership with Scotland’s world-class universities, the Converge Challenge helps students, staff, and recent graduates gain the tools, networks, and support to springboard their game-changing business ideas into the world.

What can the Converge Challenge help with? 

Business training
Funding
1-2-1 support
Professional advice
Contacts to help you grow your network

Contact clow@qmu.ac.uk for more information or Apply for the Converge Challenge now! - Deadline 3 April 2024

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Changes to Meeting room and teaching room PCs

As part of the University’s continuous improvement and cyber resilience, we are rolling out changes to the meeting room and teaching room PCs. The migration is not happening en masse so some rooms will run the new system while others the old, till the migration is complete. A migrated room will have updated documentation to help with the transition.

The changes will better help integrate OneDrive into the systems along with other performance improvements. The main change is the authentication method when logging into a PC. The new system requires the username as username@qmu.ac.uk and normal QMU password. You will also need to authenticate using username@qmu.ac.uk and standard password when browsing to https://my.qmu.ac.uk on the devices. The remaining look and feel will stay the same with core functionality not changed either in terms of operating system, applications and media setup of the room.

The reason for the change to the new system is to give us greater control and flexibility and adapt to updates/fixes, etc, quicker than the older system.

If you have any questions or queries, then please drop me an email mglancy@qmu.ac.uk

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The Helpdesk Survey- Be in with a chance to win a £50 Amazon e-voucher!

Be in with a chance to win a £50 Amazon e-voucher by completing The Helpdesk survey!

The views and experiences of all our customers are extremely important to us.

We welcome your feedback and are continually looking at ways in which we can improve our service.

Please help us by completing this short survey.

Actions from this survey will be published via the Helpdesk intranet page.

Closing date for the survey is Sunday 31st March!

Many thanks and good luck!

The Helpdesk Team

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WISeR Arts Showcase

March 28th, 2024

5pm - 7pm

3rd Floor Balcony Space, QMU (the “Art Gallery”)

You are invite to the 3rd (fast becoming annual!) WISeR Arts Showcase that has supported students from the BA Events Management and MA Applied Arts and Social Practice to work with local community groups at Craigmillar Now and Connecting Craigmillar. Refreshments available!

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Catering online survey - now live!

The annual catering survey is now live. It will be open from today, Monday 11^th March, to Friday 22^nd March and is conducted by our independent catering consultancy, Litmus Partnership.

Have you tried our new catering outlets? What do you think of our new menus and service offers? These are just a couple of the questions we need your views on.

The information collected will be benchmarked against the survey results from last year to allow us to measure the difference in customer satisfaction levels.

So please can we ask you to take 5 minutes to fill in our online survey. You may be in with a chance of winning one of 3 x £50 Amazon vouchers! You can fill in the online survey here.

Look out for posters dotted about campus and social media which also contain the link for the survey.

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Allotment events

Outdoor Learning Hub at QMU: Allotment

Foraging Walk and Seed Swap

21^st March, 2-4pm

Table outside Guthrie’s

Support the allotment with a seed swap

Do you have vegetable, flower or other plant seeds you’re not going to use? Please bring them along to our seed swap event. If there are seeds you’d like to take, please leave a donation for the allotment.

Join us for a local foraging walk

Spring is the time for foraging for salad greens, spring flowers and shoots, and medicinal plants. Join us on a walk around the local area to find spring’s edible plants, learn about responsible foraging and get ideas for recipes. Depart from the table outside Guthrie’s at just after 2pm. Will be back by 4pm but welcome to head back to campus whenever works for you. Bring a bag!

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Women's History Month Film Screening: Hidden Figures

This Women's History Month, Equate Scotland's Student Network invites you to a film screening of the film Hidden Figures (2016).

Hidden Figures is incredible and inspiring untold true story about three women at NASA who were instrumental in one of the most ambitious operations in history - sending a man into space. Three brilliant African-American women at NASA -- Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) -- serve as the brains behind the launch of astronaut John Glenn (Glen Powell) into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation's confidence, turned around the Space Race and galvanized the world.

This film screening is free and open to ALL QMU staff and students.

Join us in the Halle Lecture Theatre on Wednesday 13^th March between 16:00-18:30 for the screening!

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Invitation to join the Decolonising QMU Working Group

In response to the EDI Culture Review Report Action Plan, a 'Decolonising QMU' Working Group is being set up with the purpose of formulating guidance, supporting events and devising policy for decolonisation work within and across the university.

We invite interested colleagues and students to express their interest in joining the 'DecolonisingQMU' Working Group by filling in the short form below by 15^th March 2024:

Invitation to join the Decolonising QMU Working Group (office.com)

Consideration will be given to ensuring a diversity of perspectives and lived experiences, and we particularly encourage expressions of interest from those with demonstrable interest and commitment to decolonisation work.

6th March 2024

In this week's Student News

Reclaiming QMU Apple IDs

What is happening?

Apple has advised some personal Apple IDs have been setup using “@qmu.ac.uk” email addresses, causing a conflict with our own attempts to deploy managed Apple IDs.

For us to proceed, we must reclaim all personal Apple IDs using "@qmu.ac.uk" email addresses, so that they are available for us to deploy within the University. This will also prevent "@qmu.ac.uk" email addresses being used for personal Apple IDs in future.

When is it happening?

We will initiate this process with support from Apple on Tuesday 13th February. The process should be complete within 60 days from then (13^th April).

Why is it happening?

To improve the user experience of Apple devices purchased by QMU, we need staff and students to be able to login to shared devices using a QMU Apple ID which we create and deploy automatically. This work will enable that.

What is expected of you?

If you have setup a personal Apple ID using your “@qmu.ac.uk” e-mail address you will receive an e-mail from Apple, and a notification on any relevant Apple devices, advising you of the next steps.

You will be asked to change the Apple ID to use one of your own personal e-mail addresses, rather than your QMU address.

Please note, you will not have to change the Apple ID password. Any purchases, content and data made with this Apple ID will not be affected and will remain available to it after you rename the Apple ID.

After 60 days you will receive a final prompt and your Apple ID will then be automatically renamed. You will receive further instructions direct from Apple.

Once these conflicts have been resolved, we can then take steps to provision managed Apple IDs using QMU email addresses.

What if I setup an Apple ID for a work device?

If your department purchased an Apple device, and you then used your QMU email address to sign up for an Apple ID for it, Apple still classes this as a "personal" Apple ID.

Please contact us as per below in the first instance.

Further Support

Please note this process is being driven by Apple, and the QMU Helpdesk will have limited capacity to assist.

If you have any concerns or questions, please contact its-comms@qmu.ac.uk

Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause,

IT Services

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8-week ‘Compassionate Mind Training’ course

Thursdays, 3.30-5.30pm starting on the 7^th March

Do you ever feel that you are your own worst critic? Or that sometimes you get in your own way? Do you sometimes find it hard to regulate your emotions? If so, this course might be helpful!

What’s it about?

We will learn more about our ‘tricky brains’ and how difficult it can be to be human.
We will learn more about self-criticism and how to balance strong negative emotions (e.g. anger, anxiety, sadness or shame).
We will learn to develop and practice a compassionate mind with the intention of being helpful, not harmful, towards ourselves and others.

What’s involved?

Each session will involve a mixture of taught content and experiential exercises and practices (e.g. mindfulness, imagery, compassionate mind skills development).
The sessions will be IN PERSON on campus.
It is important that you aim to attend all 8 sessions.
Please bring an open mind and a readiness to listen to others with kindness.

Compassion?!!

Don’t worry – this isn’t touchy-feely nonsense! Our definition of ‘compassion’ is wise, kind, courageous, strong and pretty helpful.

Book a place:

If you would like to book a place, email Sophie on smacleod@qmu.ac.uk giving your name and matriculation number.

Spaces are limited.

If you are interested but cannot make these dates, please let me know and I can add you to a list for next semester.

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Turn your idea into a business with the Converge Challenge! - Deadline 3 April 2024

Do you have a passion for innovation and invention, but not sure how to turn your idea into a reality? It’s time to apply for the Converge Challenge!

Regardless of your background and entrepreneurial readiness, if you know the ‘why’ behind your business, the Converge Challenge can help you with the ‘how.’

Working in partnership with Scotland’s world-class universities, the Converge Challenge helps students, staff, and recent graduates gain the tools, networks, and support to springboard their game-changing business ideas into the world.

What can the Converge Challenge help with? 

Business training
Funding
1-2-1 support
Professional advice
Contacts to help you grow your network

Contact clow@qmu.ac.uk for more information or Apply for the Converge Challenge now! - Deadline 3 April 2024

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Changes to Meeting room and teaching room PCs

Hi,