Welcome to the home of the OU Students Association’s 50th Anniversary which was celebrated in 2022.
Three years after The Open University received its Royal Charter in 1969, the Students Association was founded in 1972 to create a clear line of communication between the University and its students.
So much has been achieved during the last 50 years, and we're very proud of our achievements (if we do say so ourselves).
Our achievements
Today, our focus is on making sure that what we do, and how we do it, is guided by the needs, hopes and aspirations of our student members – and that we continue to help close the feedback loop.
Our priority is ensuring that the Association continues to build on the foundations it has laid over the past five decades, by making a positive difference for all OU students, both now and into the future.
Over the course of 2022, we looked at what we have already achieved, and where we want to go in the next 50 years.
Our student conference in January 2022 marked the start of our year-long celebrations, with a host of exciting sessions running across the weekend.
Our focus throughout the year was on creating a legacy for the future, celebrating student stories from across the decades.
We also aimed to raise £50,000 for the Open University Students Educational Trust. OUSET provides vital support for Open University students who can’t receive funding anywhere else to continue their studies. To mark the Association’s 50th anniversary, a total of £42,305 was raised in donations and profits earned from the sale of limited edition 50th anniversary merchandise.
All donations made from May 2022 to May 2023 counted towards this target, as did all profits from the 50th Anniversary merchandise sold on our online OU Students Shop.
50th anniversary merchandise