Policy & Procedure
Key points of the policy and procedure are:
- All disclosures will be acted upon promptly, sensitively, fairly and properly.
- The university will ensure that no-one is at risk of suffering penalty or disadvantage as a result of raising a concern in good faith.
- Disciplinary action may be taken if malicious unfounded allegations are made.
- All disclosures will be considered by an Investigation panel who will investigate disclosures, seek expert advice where appropriate, and produce a report on their findings.
Contacts
Staff members to whom a disclosure can be made:
Principal
- Professor Steve Olivier - Principal and Vice Chancellor, steve.olivier@rgu.ac.uk
Senior Management Group Members
- Professor Nick Fyfe - Vice-Principal for Research and Community Engagement, n.fyfe3@rgu.ac.uk
- Professor Lynn Kilbride – Vice-Principal for Academic Development and Student Experience, l.kilbride@rgu.ac.uk
- Donella Beaton - Vice-Principal for Economic Development, d.beaton1@rgu.ac.uk
- Dr Duncan Cockburn - Vice-Principal for Strategy and Planning, duncan.cockburn@rgu.ac.uk
- Veronica Strachan - University Secretary and Vice-Principal Corporate Services, v.strachan@rgu.ac.uk
- Julie Guest - Director of Planning and Student Records, j.k.guest@rgu.ac.uk
- Bill Somerville - Director of Estates and Property Services, w.somerville@rgu.ac.uk
- Jeremy Lindley - Director of Finance, j.lindley@rgu.ac.uk
- Scott Cameron – Director of Human Resources, s.cameron@rgu.ac.uk
- Richard Lynch – Director of IT and Digital, Richard.lynch@rgu.ac.uk
- Jennifer Louden - Director of Library Services, j.louden@rgu.ac.uk
- Professor Paul de Leeuw - Director of the RGU Energy Transition Institute, p.de-leeuw@rgu.ac.uk
- Jill Stevenson - Director of Student Life, j.stevenson6@rgu.ac.uk
- Dr Jo Royle - Dean, Aberdeen Business School, j.royle@rgu.ac.uk
- Professor Sarah Pedersen - Dean, Graduate School, s.pederson@rgu.ac.uk
- Dr Dan Allen - Dean, Gray’s School of Art, d.allen1@rgu.ac.uk
- Professor John Isaacs - Dean, School of Computing, Engineering and Technology, j.p.isaacs@rgu.ac.uk
- Laura Binnie - Dean, School of Health, l.m.binnie@rgu.ac.uk
- John Clifford – Dean, School of Law and Social Sciences, j.clifford1@rgu.ac.uk
- Professor Susie Walsh – Dean, School of Pharmacy, Applied Sciences and Public Health, susannah.walsh@rgu.ac.uk
- Professor Peter Exley - Dean, Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment, p.exley@rgu.ac.uk
University Solicitor
- Pam Wheadon – University Solicitor, p.wheadon1@rgu.ac.uk
Chair of the Board of Governors
- Dr Colin Hunter – Chair of the Board of Governors, c.hunter13@rgu.ac.uk
Convenor of the Audit Committee
- Mr Phil Murray - Convenor of the Audit Committee, p.murray9@rgu.ac.uk
Review & Monitoring
The Policy and Procedure on Disclosures in the Public Interest (Whistleblowing) is reviewed on an annual basis as a standing item on the Board of Governor’s Audit Committee agenda.
The Audit Committee receive an annual report on Ethics, Whistleblowing, Fraud and Gifts and Hospitality which details any specific instances of breaches of the university’s policies and provides a record of the enquiries and investigations undertaken by the university in each of these areas.
The findings and outcomes of any investigations are also monitored and reviewed by the Audit Committee.
Public Interest Disclosure and Joint RGU/ SFC Lessons Learned Review 2018
In May 2018 the university received an anonymous Public Interest Disclosure regarding an alleged conflict of interest in the appointment the Vice Principal for Commercial and Regional Innovation.
A panel of the university’s Board of Governors, which comprised the Convener of the Audit Committee, two independent governors and an external member, carried out a full and thorough investigation into this matter.
The investigation panel followed the university’s policy and procedures on disclosures in the public interest and produced a report on its findings. There then followed a chain of events which culminated in the resignation of the University’s Principal and the appointment of his successor.
Throughout these events there was much comment both in the media and from various stakeholders amidst concerns about the governance aspects of decisions being taken. The University and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) separately concluded that a “Lessons Learned” review was necessary; agreed that a joint exercise would be the most effective way to undertake this; and agreed that the exercise should identify:
- Where internal processes might be improved at RGU.
- Where improvements might be made to the Scottish Code of Good Higher Education Governance.