Universities Scotland

Contacts

Convener: Professor Pete Downes, Principal & Vice-Chancellor, University of Dundee

Director: Mr Alastair Sim BA MA MPhil

Universities Scotland 
Holyrood Park House
106 Holyrood Road 
Edinburgh EH8 8AS

Tel: 0131 226 1111

Follow us on Twitter: @uni_scot

Please click here for a map to our office.

 

Email enquiries

To contact a member of staff by email please use the following email address format: firstname@universities-scotland.ac.uk

For general email enquiries please use the same address format but use info instead of an individual's name.

Press Office

Tel: 0131 225 0713

Out of hours: 07715 992908

Alastair Sim, Director

T: 0131 225 0711
M: 07778982265

Sonya Johnston, Office Administrator and Administrative Officer, Scotland for the Higher Education Academy

T: 0131 225 0712

Kate Grimes, Administration Assistant and PA to the Director

T: 0131 225 0708

David Lott, Deputy Director (Policy)

T: 0131 225 0704
M: 07880 195713

Dr Daniel Wedgwood, Senior Policy Officer (Resources and Governance)

T: 0131 225 0719
M: 07867 451184

Pauline Ward, Policy Assistant

Responsible for assisting with the area of Resources and office finance.
Also Secretary to the Board of Academic Medicine
T: 0131 225 0709

Dr Kirsty Conlon, Head of Learning and Teaching and Widening Access

T: 0131 225 0710
M: 07748 963969

Mark Wild, Policy Officer (Learning and Teaching)

Responsible to the Head of Learning and Teaching and Widening Access

T: 0131 225 0718
M: 07766 078473

TBC, Policy Officer (Learning and Teaching)

Responsible to the Head of Learning and Teaching and Widening Access

T: TBC
M: TBC

Dr Charles Marriott, Senior Policy Officer (Research & Knowledge Exchange and Health)

T: 0131 225 0705
M: 077887932136

Pauline Ward, Policy Assistant (Research & Knowledge Exchange & Health)

Responsible for assisting with the research and knowledge exchange and health areas
T: 0131 225 0709

Susannah Lane, Head of Public Affairs

T: 0131 225 0701
M: 07715 992908

Heather Sloan, Public Affairs Assistant

Responsible for assisting the public affairs team.
T: 0131 225 0713

James Wilson, Public Affairs Assistant

Responsible for assisting the public affairs team.
T: 0131 225 0714 

Nathalie Mather-L'Huillier, International Policy Officer

T: 0131 225 0715
M: 07850 930293

Petra McNeilly Rutledge, Policy Assistant (International)

Responsible for assisting the international team.
T: 0131 225 0702

Scroll over the map below and click to view contact details for our members.



New code of governance set to make Scottish universities the most progressive in Europe
Universities Scotland welcomes the draft publication of a new code of good governance for Scotland’s 19 higher education institutions today [16 April], describing it as a progressive code which would set Scotland’s universities at the leading edge of accountable governance amongst all of Europe.

The draft code was welcomed by Universities Scotland’s Convener, Professor Pete Downes, also Principal of the University of Dundee:

“The new code makes a significant number of stretching and progressive requirements that will make Scotland’s universities even more transparent, inclusive and accountable to their many stakeholders. I support its introduction in Scotland and I’m confident that all universities will get behind it.

“Universities Scotland welcomed the development of a new code of governance in the spirit of continuous improvement; the principle that universities operate to in all areas of their activity. The code published today builds on the existing UK code which was already held in esteem across Europe and further afield as a model of strong HE governance. The new code, which takes us further on measures of transparency, inclusion and accountability, is set to make Scotland’s universities amongst the most progressive in Europe.”

Key measures within the new draft code include:

  • New measures to provide greater transparency in decisions relating to the remuneration of the Principal.
  • New measures for greater staff and student involvement in the formal appraisal of the Principal.
  • A new requirement to include goals for greater diversity of the governing body membership and regular monitoring of progress towards such goals.
  • The creation of a new role in university governance of Vice Chair with particular responsibility for assessing the Chair’s performance.
  • A requirement for the constitution of a nominations committee for the appointment of lay members of the governing body and selection of the Chair to ensure staff and student engagement.
  • A new requirement that vacancies for independent or lay members of university governing bodies are advertised externally. The recruitment process must address issues of equality and diversity and should involve a skills register to assist in identifying the skills needs of the institution. 
  • Clear responsibilities for the Chair to protect discussions at the governing body from dominance by senior management.
  • Affirmation of the importance of university autonomy
  • Renewed commitment to the importance of academic freedom


The code is now in a final eight-week consultation phase lasting until 11 June. The aim is to approve the final code in time for implementation in academic year 2013/14.

You can read the full press release here. The code can be downloaded at: www.scottishuniversitygovernance.ac.uk