Queen Margaret University

Infobox University
name = Queen Margaret University


established = 1875 (as "The Edinburgh School of Cookery")
type = Public
principal = Prof. Anthony Cohen FRSE

chancellor = Sir Tom Farmer
students = 5,410cite web |url=http://www.hesa.ac.uk/holisdocs/pubinfo/student/institution0506.htm |title=Table 0a - All students by institution, mode of study, level of study, gender and domicile 2005/06 |work=Higher Education Statistics Agency online statistics |accessdate=2007-04-05]
undergrad = 4,295
postgrad = 1,100
other = 20 further education
campus = Musselburgh near Edinburgh
city = Musselburgh near Edinburgh
country = Scotland
website = http://www.qmu.ac.uk/

Queen Margaret University (formerly Queen Margaret University College and Queen Margaret College) is a Modern University located in Musselburgh near Edinburgh in Scotland. It is named after Saint Margaret, wife of King Malcolm III of Scotland, and was founded in 1875. In January 2007, it was awarded university status. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/6269083.stm Award of full university status] ] The University has recently (autumn 2007) moved from a number of sites in the city of Edinburgh, to a new purpose-built campus located in Musselburgh, to the east of the city.

History

Queen Margaret University was founded in 1875, as "The Edinburgh School of Cookery and Domestic Economy", by Christian Guthrie Wright and Louisa Stevenson,cite web| url = http://www.qmu.ac.uk/the_university_college/history.htm| title = History: From Edinburgh School of Cookery to Queen Margaret University| accessdate = 2007-04-11| publisher = Queen Margaret University] both members of the Edinburgh Ladies' Educational Association. The School was founded as a female only institution, with the twin aims of improving women's access to higher education, and improving the diets of working class families. Teaching was initially delivered via lectures at the Royal Museum, supplemented by a programme of public lectures and demonstrations delivered nationwide, but in 1877 the School established a base at Shandwick Place, in Haymarket.

The School moved in 1891 to Atholl Crescent, expanding its courses and offering residential places to students. In 1909, the School was designated a Central Institution and brought under the public control of the Scotch Education Department. The first Principal appointed was Ethel De la Cour. [Tom Begg, ‘Cour, Ethel Maud De la (1869–1957)’, "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", OUP, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/52733 accessed 11 April 2007] ] De la Cour retired in 1930, and in the same year the School became the "Edinburgh College of Domestic Science".cite web| url = http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/07/QMUCUniversityTitle/Q/Page/2| title = Consultation on Award of University Title to Queen Margaret University College| accessdate = 2007-04-11| publisher = Scottish Executive]

In 1961, the College acquired its Corstorphine campus, purchasing a portion of the Clermiston estate from developers. The campus was first occupied by the College in 1970. In 1972, the name "Queen Margaret College" was adopted, to dissociate the College from the narrow field of domestic science. Thereafter, the College broadened its range of courses, especially in the paramedical and healthcare fields. The following institutions have since been absorbed by Queen Margaret College:

* The Edinburgh College of Speech and Drama (established 1929, joined 1971)
* The Edinburgh School of Speech Therapy (established 1946, joined 1975)
* The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh School of Physiotherapy (established 1940, joined 1978)
* The Astley Ainslie Hospital Occupational Therapy Training Centre (established 1937, joined 1979)
* The Edinburgh Foot Clinic and School of Chiropody (established 1924, joined 1984)
* The Edinburgh School of Radiography (established 1936, joined 1992)
* The Edinburgh University Settlement School of Art Therapy (established 1992, joined 1997)

In 1992, the Privy Council granted Queen Margaret College powers to award its own taught degrees, and in 1998, the College was granted full degree powers, which enabled it to award its own research and higher degrees.

As a result, in 1999 the College took the name "Queen Margaret University College". After further improvements in the college, including a new campus to centralise all courses, in January 2007 the institution was awarded full university status, becoming Queen Margaret University (QMU). QMU relocated from its previous three campuses to a brand new purpose-built campus near Musselburgh, just to the east of Edinburgh, in 2007/2008. [ [http://www.qmced.ac.uk/marketing/relocate/default.htm QM relocates] ]

chools

The University is divided into four Schools:
* The School of Business,Enterprise and Management [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/be/default.htm]
* The School of Drama and Creative Industries
* The School of Health Sciences
* The School of Social Sciences, Media and Communication

The School of Business, Enterprise and Management

The School offers an extensive range of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Courses. [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/be/be_courses.htm]

At Undergraduate BA(Hons) Consumer Studies [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/UGCourse.cfm?c_id=1] BA(Hons) Business Management [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/UGCourse.cfm?c_id=3] , BA (Hons) Marketing Management [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/UGCourse.cfm?c_id=49] ,BA (Hons) Retail Management [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/UGCourse.cfm?c_id=48] , BA (Hons) Tourism Management [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/UGCourse.cfm?c_id=53] , BA(Hons) Hospitality and Tourism Management [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/UGCourse.cfm?c_id=53] , BA(Hons) International Hospitality Management [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/UGCourse.cfm?c_id=53] and BA(Hons) Events Management [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/UGCourse.cfm?c_id=46] .

Students are also able to select a BA (Hons)Joint degree route in which students can combine two of the aforementioned subjects into a degree route [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/be/courses/ug_jd.htm] .

At Postgraduate level the School of Business, Enterprise and Management offers a selction of Masters level programmes. MBA [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/PGCourse.cfm?c_id=218] , MBA Cultural Management [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/PGCourse.cfm?c_id=218] , MBA Public Services Management [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/PGCourse.cfm?c_id=217] , MBA Hospitality Management [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/PGCourse.cfm?c_id=222] , MBA Golf and Country Club Management [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/PGCourse.cfm?c_id=222] , MBA Entrepreneurship [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/PGCourse.cfm?c_id=219] , MBA eTourism Management [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/PGCourse.cfm?c_id=220] .

In addition the School now provides the

Executive Masters Degree in Public Services Management [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/be/courses/exec_masters.htm]

as well as PhD Programmes [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/be/courses/phd.htm] .

chool of Drama and Creative Industries

The School of Drama and Creative Industries offers courses in drama and performance, and production and cultural management. [cite web| url = http://www.qmu.ac.uk/faculties_schools/drama.htm| title = Drama and Creative Industries| accessdate = 2007-04-11| publisher = Queen Margaret University]

The School of Drama and Creative Industries runs the Bachelor of Arts in Acting & Performance along with the BA (Hons) in Theatre Productions (lighting, sound, set design and stage management) courses at the new purpose built campus. These courses are to be discontinued although the School with continue to run a number of other courses in drama and the creative industries. The Technical Production course is no longer accepting new students and the last intake to the current Acting and Performance programme was in August 2008. This has lead to polemic discussions between the students and management. Before this, the courses were based in the centre of Edinburgh at the Gateway Theatre on Leith Walk. This was also the base for the Edinburgh studios of Scottish Television. The Acting course was once accredited in the UK by the National Council for Drama Training, [cite web| url = http://www.ncdt.co.uk/adetails.asp?ID=37| title = Accredited Course List - Details: BA/BA (Hons) Acting| accessdate = 2007-04-11| publisher = National Council for Drama Training] as was the Theatre Production course before the criticised move to Musselburgh. [cite web| url = http://www.ncdt.co.uk/adetails.asp?ID=38| title = Accredited Course List - Details: BA/BA (Hons) Stage Mgmt & Theatre Production| accessdate = 2007-04-11| publisher = National Council for Drama Training] Both courses lost these accreditations but some of the current cohort of Acting students (ie those that entered the university in 2007 or earlier) will still graduate from the NCDT accredited programme. [10] . . [ [http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=401987 Queen Margaret Closes Acting and Theatre Production Courses] ]

chool of Health Sciences

The School of Health Sciences offers the broadest range of allied health professions for Scotland and gained the highest ranking for allied health professions in the UK's last research assessment exercise.It offers courses in dietetics, nutrition and biological sciences; nursing; occupational therapy and art therapy; physiotherapy; podiatry; Radiography; and music therapy. [cite web| url = http://www.qmu.ac.uk/faculties_schools/health_sciences.htm| title = Health Sciences| accessdate = 2007-04-11| publisher = Queen Margaret University]

chool of Social Sciences, Media and Communication

The School of Social Sciences, Media and Communication offers courses in media, communication and sociology; psychology; and speech and hearing sciences. [cite web| url = http://www.qmu.ac.uk/faculties_schools/social_sciences.htm| title = Social Sciences, Media and Communication| accessdate = 2007-04-11| publisher = Queen Margaret University]

The School is the only institution in Scotland that is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations to deliver the postgraduate CIPR Diploma in Public Relations. [cite web| url = http://www.cipr.co.uk/qualifications/diploma/diploma_main.htm| title = The CIPR Diploma in Public Relations| accessdate = 2007-04-11] The School's BSc courses in psychology and health psychology are accredited by the British Psychological Society. [cite web| url = http://www.bps.org.uk/bps/careers/accredited-courses/accredited-courses.cfm?action=results&in_id=212&level_of_study=all&submit=Search| title = Undergraduate Psychology Courses: Queen Margaret University| accessdate = 2007-04-11| publisher = British Psychological Society]

The subject area of Speech and Hearing Sciences won the Queen's Anniversary Prize for research in 2002.

The Learning Resource Centre

The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) comprises approximately 4500m² of the main academic building. At the heart of the campus it provides Library, IT and AV services to students, staff and visitors of the university.

The LRC consists of a combined facility for directed and self-directed study, based on an integrated library and information service provision. The LRC has 1,000 study spaces organised as a mixture of silent study, group study areas, bookable group study rooms, training rooms, assistive technology, student learning support and a postgraduate study room.

Most study spaces are network enabled for terminal or laptop access to electronic resources. In addition, the entire LRC is covered by a wireless network.

Access to books and journals; both print and electronic, electronic resources and audiovisual material to support courses and research and different modes of study; full-time and part-time, on-site and at a distance, are provided through the LRC. Many of the resources available are accessible from wherever and whenever you need to study.

The LRC is committed to providing a service which is easy for all students and staff at the institution to use. Help and support for users is provided in person, by phone and by email and help and assistance is also provided via guides available in the LRC to pick up or to print off from our website.

The LRC service desk is staffed by specially trained Information Services Advisors who are able to handle Library, IT or audio visual queries, either answering it directly or escalating it to a specialist in each of the relevant areas.

The LRC is open 9am until 9pm, Monday to Friday and 9am until 5pm at the weekends during semester. During vacation it is open 9am until 7pm, Monday to Friday and 9am until 5pm at the weekends.

Library Services

[http://www.qmu.ac.uk/lb Library Services] provide the day-to-day management of the LRC as well as providing the university's normal library facilities. This division supports teaching, learning and research across all subject areas in the university, and provides for the information needs, whether print based, electronic or audiovisual of all staff, students and researchers.

Information Services

[http://www.qmu.ac.uk/it Information Services] (IS) provides the information and communication technology infrastructure and facilities that support the teaching and research of the university. IS also manages the university phone system and data network.

Education Resource Centre

The [http://erc.qmu.ac.uk/ Education Resource Centre] provides audio-visual services to the university. This includes the provision of A/V equipment in classrooms and lecture theatres, to more specialist services, such as graphics, photography, video-conferencing and TV studio facilities.

Campuses

Former Campuses

Before moving to a new campus in Musselburgh, Queen Margaret University had been based in campuses in Corstorphine (to the West of Edinburgh), in Leith (in the heart of Edinburgh), and at the Gateway Theatre in Leith Walk (a former television studio previously owned by Scottish Television).

Musselburgh Campus

In 2007/2008 the university moved to a new purpose-built campus located in Musselburgh, just to the east of Edinburgh. This brought together students from all of the former campuses. Costing £100-million the new campus covers 35 acres and holds "educational buildings, a students union, a small gym and halls of residence of more than 800 rooms", and has been "touted as the country's greenest University campus". [ [http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:4alS9XdxQXsJ:news.scotsman.com/ViewArticle.aspx%3Farticleid%3D3327792+site:scotsman.com+%22queen+margaret+university%22+%22new+campus%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=uk Campus Article in the Scotsman] ] The relocation has, however, provoked a negative reaction from some students and student union protests after building firm Carillion failed to complete the campus on time, leaving Drama students stranded at the already sold Gateway Theatre for several months, and with students union and sports facilities uncompleted in December 2007. The SU and union facilities SU and Drama facilities finally opened in March 2008. [ [http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:8nJZ6maAXXIJ:www.scotsman.com/%3Fid%3D1910972007+site:scotsman.com+%22queen+margaret+university%22+%22new+campus%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=uk Protest Article in the Scotsman] ] [ [http://www.qmusu.org.uk/pages/campaigns/internal_campaigns/su_protest_against_carillion.html Student Union Article on Protest] ] It is also important to note that students living in halls suffered from repeated water failures and power cuts, one lasting two weeks, with little sympathy from staff within Queen Margaret.

ingapore Campus

In April 2008, the University opened its Asian Campus in Singapore, providing Degrees in Business Related subjects to about 1,600 students. The campus is situated in a former school building in Balestier District in Singapore, and is a joint venture with a Private Education Provider.

Notable alumni

Famous acting graduates from QMU include:
* Ashley Jensen ("Extras" & "Ugly Betty")
* Kevin McKidd ("Trainspotting", "Dog Soldiers" & "Rome")
* Matt Baker (British television presenter notable on "Blue Peter")
* Edith Bowman ("BBC Radio 1" presenter)
* Janine Mellor ("Casualty")
* James MacKenzie ("Raven" & "Taggart")
* Allison Mckenzie "River City"
* Claire Knight "River City"
* Katrina Bryan "Taggart"
* Douglas Anderson (TV Presenter))

References

[http://www.example.org] [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/the_university/new_campus.htm QMU Relocates] http://www.qmu.ac.uk/the_university/new_campus.htm

External links

* [http://www.qmu.ac.uk/ Queen Margaret University] – official website
*