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Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Statement
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland embraces a diverse population of students and staff. We believe that excellence can be achieved through recognising and celebrating the value of every individual, and are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in all of our activities.
We are committed to developing and upholding a culture based on respect, inclusiveness, transparency and open-mindedness. We will proactively advance equity and inclusive practice in our activities and through effective and collaborative action, ensure that we all have the right to be seen, heard and celebrated.
Equality and Diversity are of central importance to our working ethos, find out more on our Equality and Diversity pages.
EDI Policies:
This document codifies what we consider as un/acceptable behaviour relating to professional conduct and practice, staff-student relationship, and how transgressions can be dealt with. The guidelines are aimed at preventing all forms of offensive behaviour.
We believe that all members of the Conservatoire’s community have the right to study and work without experiencing any form of gender-based violence (GBV), abuse, or harassment. This guidance details what GBV is, what support is available for students and staff who experience it and how we deal with disclosures.
This policy aims to help ensure that the Conservatoire’s staff, students and visitors are treated with dignity, respect and fairness and are able to work, study and visit the Conservatoire free from harassment, discrimination and victimisation regardless of their gender identity.
Anti-Racism Action Plan (ARAP)
Each school and programmes are required to have an ARAP that demonstrates the key activities to help make the RCS a more equitable and just community of students and staff. This work and the lessons learned are embedded in the values and goals of the Strategic Plan for 2030.
Outlines the Conservatoire’s commitment to the employment of disabled people, in all functions and at all levels across the organisation. It provides clear guidance on our equal opportunity and reasonable adjustment pathways relating to all aspects of the employment of disabled people.
The plan demonstrates our commitment to supporting the needs and rights of British Sign Language users. It is our roadmap to mainstreaming BSL and accessibility in our structures and processes.
Staff Grievance Resolution Procedure
Provides staff with clear pathways to make formal complaints or take grievances against perceived professional misconduct and other unacceptable behaviour and acts. The procedure can be found on the EDI section of the RCS Intranet.
Staff-Student Charter
The Charter sets out what staff (full and part-time, professional services and academic, and visiting staff) and students can expect from each other as partners in a learning community. It also embodies our commitments to: creating an inclusive and supportive teaching-learning environment, and enhance and promote the creative arts as a powerful voice of advocacy to positively impact on the lives of students and staff and community. The Charter can be accessed from the Conservatoire’s Regulations, Codes of Procedure and General Rules Student Handbooks (for students).
This is our guide on how to appropriately share pronouns or facilitate others to do so in the context of advancing equality, diversity, and inclusion. It improves pronoun sharing in a way people (particularly those who identify as trans and non-binary) feel comfortable with.
Other EDI policies/reports
EDI Policy archive
Student Experience
Policies and Procedures
Academic Policies and Procedures
Regulations, Codes of Procedure and General Rules 2025-26
Section A – Community Rules and Regulations
Section B – Matriculation, Enrolment, Fees and Graduation
Section C – Regulations Governing Named Awards (Academic Programme Regulations)
Section D – Code of Procedure for Academic Appeals
Academic Appeals Form (Appendix 1)
Section E – Regulations Relating to Buildings and Space Usage
Section F – Regulations Relating to Data Management and the Use of IT
Section G – Regulations Relating to Community, Enhanced Support to Study and Safeguarding
Section H – Regulations Relating to Student Misconduct
H2 Academic Misconduct: Cheating and Plagiarism
H3 Student Non-Academic Misconduct Student Disciplinary Procedure
H4 Non-Academic Conduct (Disciplinary) Code of Appeals
Section I – Regulations Relating to General Complaints
Code of Procedure for Academic Appeals
Enhanced support to Study Policy
Personal Mitigating Circumstances Process and Extension Request Forms
General Policies, Procedures and Guidelines
Complaints Handling Procedure (CHP)
Other Useful Policies & Procedures
Dignity at Work and Study Statement and Guidance
Gender-based Violence Guidance
Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policies
Research Integrity Statement 2025
Private and Sponsored Use of Conservatoire Facilities Policy
Safeguarding Policy and Associated Procedures
Social Media Policy and Procedure for Students
Student Alternative Resolution Disciplinary (SARD) Policy, June 2024
Student Emergency Contact Policy
Quality Assurance
Outcome of Quality Enhancement and Standards Review (QESR) of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Conducted in December 2022
A review by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has expressed confidence associated with a Quality Enhancement and Standards Review (QESR) review in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s progress in continuing to monitor, review and enhance its higher education provision to enable effective arrangements to be in place for managing academic standards and the quality of the student experience.
The review was carried out by a team of three independent reviewers who were appointed by QAA. It took place on 9 December 2022.
The team identified the following good practice:
- Student partnership: The range of opportunities available for students to participate as partners in decision-making, for example, through the Student Experience Forum, annual staff-student Programme Committees and student input to annual monitoring action plans.
Dr Lois Fitch, Deputy Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and institutional lead for Quality Assurance said:
“On behalf our community of staff and students we’re delighted to receive the formal confidence of QAA Scotland following their recent Quality Enhancement and Standards Review (QESR). We’re particularly pleased that the review team noted the strength of RCS’s approach to student engagement, our focus on the student experience, as well as the clarity with which we articulate and share our ambitions for the future with our students and staff.
‘We are grateful to the QESR review team for the considerate attention they gave to understanding the learning and teaching context of a performing arts education environment and for their feedback which was both positive and constructive.”
QAA has also made the following recommendations:
- Assessment: RCS should use this cycle of Curriculum Review to ensure greater consistency in the design and delivery of assessment, building upon the progress made in some areas.
- Curriculum Review process: Curriculum Review should be included in the Quality Assurance Handbook, describing what this process is, ensuring information is reflective of the current approach, and clearly distinguishes Curriculum Review from other quality assurance and enhancement processes.
Those interested can read the full QESR outcome report.
The Conservatoire has developed an action plan in response to the recommendations and suggestions detailed within the QESR report. Users can also read this action plan.
Further details regarding QESR can be found on the QAA (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education) website.
Privacy Policy
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Cookie Policy
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We may collect information about your computer, including your IP address, operating system and browser type, for system administration and in order to create reports. This is statistical data about our users’ browsing actions and patterns, and does not identify any individual.
Cookies we use
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Advertising
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Social Media and Website
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Freedom of Information
Visit our Freedom of Information page
Website Terms and Conditions
All rights, including copyright, in the content and design of these web pages are owned or controlled for these purposes by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
In accessing these web pages, you agree that you may only download the content for your personal non-commercial use.
You are not permitted to copy, broadcast, download, store (in any medium), transmit, show or play in public, or adapt or change in any way the content of these web pages for any other purpose whatsoever without the prior written permission of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
All content is published in good faith; information is subject to alteration. We reserve the right, without notice to vary the content of programmes, courses and performances and modify facilities and arrangements.
Links
This site provides access via hypertext links to resources in other websites for browsing only and in so doing we are not endorsing any linked entities nor authorising any act which may be in breach of copyright or any other third-party rights which are protected in law or by international treaties world-wide. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for any of the material contained on any third-party web page.
Creating a text link from your Web site to our site does not require permission. If you have a link you’d like us to consider adding to our Web site, please send an email to website@rcs.ac.uk with the subject “Link request.”
Use of Text and Images
If you would like to publish information that you find on our website, please send your request to website@rcs.ac.uk. No images, audio or video, or textual content can be used without permission.
Information about using our logo and images is available by contacting communications@rcs.ac.uk
The contents of this website are only for general information or use. They do not constitute advice and should not be relied upon in making (or refraining from making) any decision. We use reasonable care to make sure that the information appearing on our website is accurate and up to date. However, errors and omissions do occur and you should not take the accuracy of the information for granted. Because we do not have control over the use to which the information should be put, we exclude any warranty, express or implied, as to the quality, accuracy, timeliness, completeness, performance, or fitness for a particular purpose of the website or any of its contents. We will not be liable for any damages (including without limitation damages for loss of profit, revenue or anticipated savings) arising in contract, tort or otherwise from the use of or inability to use the website or any of its contents or from any action taken (or refrained from being taken) as a result of using the web site or any such contents. We make no warranty that the contents of the website are free from infection by viruses or anything else which has contaminating or destructive properties.
Accessibility
Please read our Accessibility Statement. If you have any questions about our website accessibility or need information in another format please email website@rcs.ac.uk.
Disclaimer
Links to external websites are for information purposes only and do not imply a recommendation or endorsement from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.