Skip to main content
MyQMUL
  1. MyQMUL
  2. News and events
  3. News
  4. Items

All-student email: update on campus community relations and financial investments

Our Chief Operations Officer, Dr Sharon Ellis, President and Chair of the Board of Trustees, Queen Mary Students’ Union, Diya Selastin and Chief Executive Officer, Queen Mary Students’ Union, Mike Wojcik wrote to all students on Tuesday 9 December with an  update on campus community relations and financial investments.

Published:

Dear student,

Just over a year ago, the Queen Mary Students’ Union (QMSU) Executive Officers and members of the University’s Senior Executive Team (SET) formally launched the Good Campus Relations Steering Group. We took this step in recognition of:

  • the profound and ongoing impact on members of our community who have family and friends in Palestine, Israel, and the surrounding region; and
  • the diverse range of views held among members of our community and the need to ensure that our University is a safe, respectful and inclusive space that protects freedom of speech within the law and encourages dialogue and thoughtful reflection.

One of the first significant outputs of the Group was the creation of the Ethical and Sustainable Investments Student Forum, which first met on 30 April. Like the Group, the Forum is co-chaired by the QMSU President and a member of SET. Its purpose is to provide a dedicated space for information sharing and debate regarding the University’s approach to ethical and sustainable investment.

This is all in addition to the regular engagement between student groups and representatives of QMSU and the University, which happens throughout the year and through which we provide support and address concerns.

In April, we shared with all students and staff an initial update on this work. We are writing again today to share a summary of the work we have been doing through the Group and Forum since then.

Good Campus Relations Steering Group

The Group has implemented a new QMSU-University procedure for planning and supporting QMSU Club and Society events to better ensure all events are supported, safe and successful.

The Group has focused its discussions on how to help ensure that when students and staff exercise their right to demonstration and free speech they do so within the law and in line with our values. This focus is necessary given the entirely unacceptable actions of a few small groups within our community this semester that took place in and around our careers fairs.

In addition, the Group has overseen the development, in collaboration with our students, of new training material for staff relating to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

Ethical and Sustainable Investments Student Forum

The Forum has dedicated a lot of energy in supporting and challenging the University in the update of its Investment Policy. Part of this work involved hosting discussions with the two organisations that manage Queen Mary’s endowment portfolio, Cazenove Capital and Barclays Private Bank. Both sessions were very well received by all who attended.  As a result of this engagement, and listening to the views of our students and staff, a revised policy has been approved by the University Council, and is available on the University’s website. You can read more about the Student Forum on the QMSU website.

Reflecting on the past 12 months, the work we have done together is making meaningful progress towards our aims of ensuring we are supporting all students and staff affected by distressing events within the UK and across the globe, and ensuring our University is a safe, respectful and inclusive space that protects freedom of speech within the law and encourages dialogue and thoughtful reflection.

We look forward to continuing this vital work. If you have any comments, ideas or feedback relating to this work you can submit these at any time via the QMSU Ideas page or by contacting one of your elected QMSU representatives. Applications for the Ethical and Sustainable Investments Forum will also re-open in the January. You can find further details on the QMSU website.

Finally, please remember we are here for you and encourage you to reach out to our support services, details of which you can find below.

Best wishes,

Dr Sharon Ellis

Chief Operations Officer and Chair of the Good Campus Relations Group, Queen Mary University of London

Diya Selastin

President and Chair of the Board of Trustees, Queen Mary Students’ Union

Mike Wojcik

Chief Executive Officer, Queen Mary Students’ Union

Support links: 

 

 

Back to top