Operations

Recruitment and Selection Policy 

Queen Mary's Recruitment and Selection Policy permits the use of positive action measures to support applicants who may be disadvantaged, underrepresented, or have specific needs connected to a protected characteristic. Applied on a case-by-case basis and with advice from the University's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team, these measures may include targeted advertising, equality statements and equal-merit provisions. Alongside requirements for fair and equitable recruitment, reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants and diverse recruitment panels, the policy helps remove barriers to employment and supports a more inclusive workforce.

Anti-Discriminatory Admissions Measures 

Queen Mary is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for all applicants. Queen Mary’s admissions policies and procedures are built on fairness, transparency and equality of opportunity. All applicants are considered on merit, with decisions made free from bias or discrimination at every stage. Our procedures ensure consistent application of policy, including clear routes for appeals and complaints without fear of adverse treatment. We also use contextual data to recognise individual potential and to support equitable access, ensuring our operational framework actively upholds inclusion and diversity across the admissions process.

Race Equality Charter 

Queen Mary is proud to be a signatory of the Advance HE Race Equality Charter (REC) since 2018.The REC provides a framework through which institutions work to identify and self-reflect on barriers standing in the way of minority ethnic staff and students. 

In 2023, we launched Race Equality Surveys for staff and students, using the findings to shape our institutional five-year action plan and guide the work of the Race Equality Action Group (REAG). Founded in 2020, the REAG published the QM Race Equality Toolkit, developed as one of several initiatives to highlight the importance of promoting anti-racist practices, valuing cultural diversity and in providing an appropriate and professional service to all people irrespective of colour, culture or ethnic origin.

Access to University – Student Financial Support 

Queen Mary University of London provides a range of bursaries and scholarships to remove financial barriers and widen participation in higher education. These funds prioritise students from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds, ensuring that financial circumstances do not limit educational opportunity.

• Queen Mary Bursary – Automatically awarded to domestic undergraduate students from households with an annual income below £35,000, representing 37% of our undergraduate population.
• Financial Assistance Fund – A non-repayable source of financial aid for students facing hardship during their studies, with priority given to student parents, disabled students, and those who are care-experienced or estranged.
• CLES Bursary – Provides £1,500 of summer-vacation support to Care Leaver and Estranged students, helping to bridge gaps in living costs outside of term time.
• Scape Scholarship – Offers subsidised accommodation at Scape residences for Estranged, Care Leaver or Care-Experienced students.
• Sanctuary Scholarship – Provides full tuition fee waivers and maintenance support for asylum seekers or students with temporary immigration status, studying within the Faculties of Science & Engineering or Humanities & Social Sciences.

Together, these schemes ensure that every talented student, regardless of background, can access, participate in, and thrive at Queen Mary University of London.

Widening Participation in practice 

Alongside its admissions, recruitment and financial-support policies, Queen Mary delivers targeted widening participation programmes to address educational inequality and improve access to higher education and professional careers.

• Access to Queen Mary – An 18-month programme providing mentoring, skills development, transition support and eligibility for contextual admissions. It supports students facing barriers linked to socioeconomic disadvantage, disability and care experience.
• Advancing Access – Through its partnership with Advancing Access, Queen Mary supports teachers and advisers to improve progression to selective universities for students from underrepresented groups.
• Bridge the Gap – Supports Year 12 and 13 students interested in medicine, dentistry and allied health professions through taster sessions, application guidance and travel support, helping widen access to healthcare degrees.
• Pathways to Law – Delivered with The Sutton Trust and The Legal Education Foundation, this programme provides mentoring, legal masterclasses, work experience and employability support to help students from underrepresented backgrounds access legal education and careers.

These programmes are designed to reduce barriers associated with socioeconomic disadvantage, care experience, disability and low progression rates to higher education, helping talented students access opportunities that may otherwise be out of reach.

Equality and Diversity Steering Group (EDISG)

The Equality and Diversity Steering Group (EDISG) sits at the centre of Queen Mary’s EDI governance, overseeing progress against equality objectives and ensuring accountability across all faculties and departments. It monitors policy implementation, advises on inclusive practice, and aligns institutional work with the university’s Our Values in Action framework. Working with local EDI groups, it guides strategy and supports the development of equitable policies and processes.

Aurora Women’s Leadership Development Programme 

Queen Mary participates in the Aurora programme, which is a unique partnership bringing together leadership experts and higher education institutions to equip women with the knowledge and skills to influence institutional direction and cultivate essential leadership capabilities.

Staff EDI networks

Queen Mary’s staff networks create spaces for connection, advocacy, and inclusion, helping to ensure that diverse voices are represented in decision-making and policy across the university.

• Staff Disability Network – Provides a confidential and supportive community for staff with visible, invisible, or long-term conditions. The network advises senior leadership on disability equality and workplace accessibility.
• Parents and Carers Network – A peer-support group for staff balancing work and caring responsibilities. It works with the EDI team to shape policies on flexible working, childcare, and work-life balance.
• Gender Equality Staff Network – Promotes gender equity through advocacy, awareness-raising, and policy input. The network supports the university’s Athena Swan commitments and empowers colleagues to advance gender balance in leadership and research.
• Race Equality Staff Network – Creates space for dialogue, mutual support, and action on racial equity. It informs Race Equality Charter work and contributes to initiatives improving representation and belonging for Global Majority staff.
• Menopause Staff Network – Raises awareness and understanding of menopause in the workplace, providing support and resources for staff experiencing symptoms and helping shape inclusive wellbeing policies.
• LGBTQIA+ Staff Network – Builds visibility and community for LGBTQIA+ colleagues and allies. It promotes equality through events, policy consultation, and collaboration with the Students’ Union and EDI team.

Buddy Up Scheme

The Buddy Scheme programme connects first-year students with experienced second-and third-year students in the same academic school for mentoring and navigating adjusting to university life. Whether its for navigating a new city, adjusting to academic life, or just looking to make friends, the Buddy Scheme mentor will be a friendly, trained volunteer who offers informal support, shares useful tips, and helps new student feel more confident as they begin your journey at Queen Mary.

Level Up Scheme 

The Level Up scheme is a new pilot expansion of the Buddy Scheme, aimed at returning second-year students. Level up is not simply an extension of the Buddy Scheme but for second-year students, it represents career-focused mentoring, with mentors offering practical advice on how to get the most out of university and direct to services on campus to help students thinking about their career.

B-Mentor 

B-MEntor is a cross-institutional mentoring programme delivered in a partnership between Queen Mary University of London, University College London, King’s College London, University of the Arts London, University of London, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and SOAS. The scheme supports academic and professional services staff from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds through one-to-one mentoring, training and career development opportunities. As a positive action initiative, B-MEntor aims to address underrepresentation, support career progression and strengthen the development of diverse talent across the higher education sector.

Counselling and Support for Students and Staff 

The Advice and Counselling Service and Student Life Team co-facilitate regular free social events for care experienced and estranged students to enable independent students to connect with each other and provide peer support at the same time as enjoying some fun activities. Queen Mary also offers flexible, tailored Counselling both online and on Mile End campus, including one-to-one talking sessions and cognitive behavioural therapy , as well as referrals for psychiatry appointments.

Our Money and Practical Advice page on the Advice and Counselling Service website has dedicated tailored pages for students facing all kinds of challenges, including but not limited to students from refugee-backgrounds, care experienced and estranged students and students with children.

Togetherall – Free Online Support

Queen Mary partners with Togetherall to extend inclusive mental-health support into a wider online community where students can connect, share experiences, and support one another. Through its peer-led model, students can join topic-based groups, post and respond to others, create expressive artwork, and access wellbeing courses and self-assessments at any time. This community-driven platform is particularly impactful for disabled students, Black students, and those from low-income backgrounds, offering a safe, accessible space to seek help and build resilience beyond the classroom.

Disability Mentoring and Targeted Support  

Queen Mary offers many support services to our disabled students beyond just estate, digital and academic accessibility, helping disabled students participate fully in university life and succeed academically.

For mentoring, Queen Mary offers Specialist Mentoring and Specialist One-to-One Study Skills Tuition. Our specialist mentoring can support students facing difficulties because of their disabilities, such as time management and planning, concentration, anxiety and stress. Whereas the Study Skills Tuition sessions are individual, personalised support sessions for students with Specific Learning Differences (SpLDs) including dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD, focusing on reading, essay planning, note-taking, presentation and revision.

For targeted support, Non-specialist human support consists of non-specialised general assistance for disabled students, such as book fetching services at libraries, proof reading, scribing and amanuensis.

Addressing Bullying and Harassment Toolkit

The Addressing Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Harassment Toolkit outlines managers’ central role in creating Queen Mary’s safe environment. The toolkit provides clarity on manager’s responsibilities regarding bullying and harassment and guidance on how to prevent and respond.

Stonewall employer

Queen Mary is a Stonewall-accredited employer, participating in the Proud Employers programme to strengthen LGBTQ+ inclusion across recruitment, workplace culture and staff development. Through this accreditation, the university benchmarks its practices against national best-practice standards and benefits from specialist guidance and training that support a more equitable and inclusive working environment for LGBTQ+ staff.