How we respond to your feedback
From course rep feedback to Student Voice Committees and pulse surveys, your ideas helps inform our actions year-round. Your feedback helps to guide us forward and build on what we’re doing well – both in your School/Institutes, and across Queen Mary.
Here's some recent action we have taken in response to feedback from students like you:
Investment in learning resources and support
AskQM: Investment in 24/7 Enquiry Management - Introduction of AskQM platform with knowledge and information available 24/7 via the knowledge base, the ability to raise and track enquiries 24/7 and the creation of AskQM hubs at the Mile End, Whitechapel, Lincoln's Inn Fields and Charterhouse Square campuses.
Improved reliability and performance of QMplus: We heard your concerns and established QMplus baseline standards to ensure every page is consistent and high-quality. We’re also improving the mobile experience and optimising performance behind the scenes, so you can access your learning materials smoothly, wherever you are.
£4m invested in more Library resources, including e-books and online journals: In 2024/25, Library Services invested over £4m in a wide range of resources and collections to support our users' needs, including databases, e-journals, e-books and print stock as well as requests submitted through our Get It For Me service. New journal subscriptions introduced this year included Studies in Musical Theatre, Public Culture, Trends in Cancer, Journal of Pain, Multimedia Fluid Mechanics Online, Journal of Popular Music Studies and Journal of Knot Theory and its Ramifications. We also added 700+ titles to our JSTOR Demand Driven Acquisition programme to address feedback from the School of Arts about the need for increased access to ebooks.
Enhanced AV quality and lecture accessibility: We acted quickly with technical fixes for QReview and invested in more lapel microphones. We launched a new AV Standard and refreshed teaching room equipment, so your lectures are clearer and more accessible. Proactive monitoring and cross-team collaboration mean 50% fewer incidents this year and a better learning environment for all.
£3m invested to refresh our Wi-Fi network: We invested £3m in the WIRE project to refresh the Wi-Fi network, making your digital and physical learning environment faster and more reliable. We’ve added more loan laptops, refurbished labs, and improved maintenance of computers and charging points, so you can study where and when you need.
Easier way to find library resources: We will be rolling out a new Library Search in March 2026 which will offer a simplified user experience with easy access to digital and physical resources.
More Library staff to help in person: We expanded staffed opening hours at West Smithfield Library from 12-2pm to 10am-8pm and enhanced staff coverage at other sites.
Library website easier to use: Several changes have been made to the Library Services website to make information easier to find and the navigation process smoother.
Making online exams better: We built a reliable online exams system with Queen Mary’s exam experts, improving exam creation and delivery in QMplus. We also reviewed software performance and launched a strategy to standardise platform use.
Academic Skills Centre: Expanded drop-in sessions at Mile End, boosting attendance by 59%. Launched a smart Support Finder tool to guide students and staff to the right help. Co-designed services with student partners to meet learners where they are.
AI for student learning: Following its successful launch in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, the QMplus AI resource created to provide a basic understanding of constructive and ethical AI use was extended to students in Science and Engineering, Business and Management, CCLS, and all pre-sessional cohorts, with nearly 5,000 students engaging with the content and 1,171 completing certificates.
Library Student Partners: In January 2025, we recruited five Library Student Partners (LSPs) as part of our Access and Participation Plan (APP) funded work to support student transitions. The LSP roles were developed to include students as collaborators in the development of initiatives to improve student experience including the Get Ahead webpages and a series of events to welcome new students to Queen Mary in 2025/26, which included a ‘New Student Symposium’ and ‘Instagram Live AMAs.’
More guidance on essential digital skills for academic work: We launched student inductions for 2025/26 by students for students, produced short videos on how students use our technologies, and revitalised the onboarding process through the IT Welcome Journey. In collaboration with Queen Mary Academy we launched AI principles and guidance
Better access to Library Archives and Special Collections materials: We've built a digitisation studio at Mile End Library which will allow us to transform our Archives and Special Collections into high-quality digital assets for wider access.
'Books of all kinds': We refreshed and expanded our Time Out collections and created a new book display at Mile End Library.
Investment in the student voice
New IT Student Support Hubs: We launched the Service Management Project to improve your Customer Experience, including faster enquiry handling and dedicated hotlines for AV support. Our new processes mean you get help quickly - often within 12 minutes - so you can get back to learning without delay. In January 2026, we are also launched our new IT Students Support Hub providing weekly in-person assistance for a wide range of IT issues.
Easier to provide feedback/send queries to the Library: We've improved our enquiry management process and now ensure we respond to and log queries on LibAnswers.
Better customer service in the Library: We've developed our staff through training and CPD and were awarded Customer Service Excellence accreditation.
Investment in wellbeing
More support with Cost of Living: Worked with the Students’ Union to continue offering a supermarket voucher scheme for students in hardship. Short-term food assistance is also provided at the QMSU Food Pantry and Garrod Food Pantry.
Low stimulation space at Mile End Library: The Ground Floor space has been transformed with inclusivity and wellbeing in mind. The Calm Zone provides a supportive environment for neurodivergent users who may prefer to study in spaces with fewer distractions. Within this area, a dedicated calm space was introduced, offering fidget toys, sensory items, and a low stimulation setting for students needing a break from study pressures.
Wellbeing Zone at Whitechapel Library: The apse area was transformed into a Wellbeing Zone in response to student feedback. The space now features soft furnishings, individual study pods, plants, and a Time Out reading-for pleasure collection designed to encourage mindful breaks from academic work.
Accessibility enhancements at Whitechapel Library: Accessibility enhancements have also been made, after receiving user feedback that the library was hard to navigate for those with accessibility needs. Following the updates, one user sent in unprompted feedback, praising the site for its overall ease of access, demonstrating that improvements have created a more inclusive environment
Investment in campus
More study space a Whitechapel Library: We've installed 'The Pod' on the main level for meetings with the Academic Skills Centre and individual study.
Preservation and Enhancement project at Whitechapel Library: Whitechapel Library has undergone major structural improvement works to enhance the fabric of the building.
West Smithfield Library refresh: At West Smithfield Library, the basement study area underwent a refresh that balanced sustainability with comfort. Existing furniture was repaired and reused while new planting and artwork create a more inviting and functional study environment.
Zoning of study spaces across our library sites: Following feedback, we have updated signage to reflect the zoning of study spaces across all library sites to guide users in how to choose the best study space for their needs. We have also made some changes to the zoning of spaces within Mile End Library. These changes were received positively, with noise complaints in some areas decreasing by 78%.