Policies & Procedures

The Charter and Statutes, and the Ordinances and Regulations provide the regulatory framework for the University and its staff and students. The Ordinances contain details on the way in which the University is governed within the general framework of the Charter and Statutes. The Regulations provide the framework for the academic work of the University, the education of its students, and such other matters as lie within the functions of Senate (such as committees and awards).

Policies and guidance to ensure consistency and effectiveness in all our corporate communications are available here. The policies and guidance covered include a co-ordinated application of the Heriot-Watt brand and visual identity through all our communications and marketing, and guidance for publishing information on the University website.

Policies and procedures regulating access to corporate IT systems are available here. The policies and procedures cover registration for access to computing systems, data protection, JANET acceptable use, domain name registration, web guidelines and more.

Policies protecting the Health & Safety of staff and students are available here. The policies cover matters such as emergency procedures, staff travel, staff workstation assessments, good hygiene and health matters as well as serious medical conditions such as AIDS and HIV infection.

Policies governing the financial management of the University as well as aspects of procurement activity and insurance cover are available here. The policies cover service level agreements, purchase cards, staff travel, insurance policies and claim forms.

Policies governing the use of University facilities are available here. These include, for example, staff use of the University's conference facilities.

Policies and procedures information relating to both personnel and staff development issues are available here. The policies cover procedures for advertising and appointing staff, childcare vouchers, equality and diversity, flexible working, grievance procedures, maternity leave, sickness absence, holidays, the no-smoking policy and many more.

Policies and procedures relating to aspects of student support are available here. The policies cover matters such as disability and disclosure, providing student references, and the procedures that apply in the event of student death or critical illness.

Policies and procedures governing research and knowledge transfer activity at the University are available here. The policies cover matters such as good practice for postgraduate research students, intellectual property, confidentiality, commercialisation and ethical review.

Policies and guidelines governing learning and teaching activity in the University are available here. The policies cover assessment and examination - including external examiner guidance - and approval of teachers/tutors/ programmes, courses and modules.

Policies and procedures for the organisation, retrieval and data protection of University information and records and Freedom of Information (FOI) are available here. The policies and procedures cover the management of student files, records, transcripts and certifications as well as the forms for retrieval and transfer of records.