SLT Priority Areas Update
Since the last meeting in April, the following activities have been highlights:
Under the Student Support priority area:
Under the Student Wellbeing priority area:
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The Menopause project is near completion, and the dedicated information will be available on Open SU by the commencement of the next academic year. It has been proposed that there is a dedicated menopause thread through DSG, and the WELS Faculty Rep will encourage a thread across all OU Connect sites.
Under the Academic Experience priority area:
Finally, under the Neurodivergent Experience priority area:
For more information on the work being done in the Student Leadership Team’s four priority areas, please visit the “Our Priorities” area of the website.
SLT Statements
Student Concerns
Students have raised the following concerns directly with members of the SLT...
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Academic Matters and Support
One concern recently raised about academic misconduct and the anxiety of having to wait up to 90 days. Whilst this could be a first occasion for the individual, the Deputy President has signposted the individual representation service as possible option should the student require to take the matter further.
Level 3 students in WELS raised concerns regarding being given conflicting advice on referencing, which was not in line with current OU policy. The WELS Faculty Rep contacted the relevant Associate Head of School who sent out a school wide reminder of the referencing policy.
Students across 2 Undergraduate degrees within the WELS faculty contacted their representative about tutors offering extensions which do not adhere to the OU extension policy. The WELS Faculty Rep sent the OU Policy to these students and contacted the relevant AHoS.
Concerns were raised by WELS PGR students about their disability profile. Open SU team contacted SST and the reply was given to the student by the WELS Faculty Rep. The Open SU Deputy President has had further communication with this student and has taken over the issues and concerns.
To replace informal study opportunities lost with StudentHub Live, the Wales Representative partners with the STEM EDI Manager to host “study together” sessions led by tutors from multiple schools, providing broad, equitable academic support that meets diverse student needs.
Students in FBL have also highlighted that turn it in is picking up legal phrases and TMA proformas, accusing students of plagiarism despite them following assessment guidelines.
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Accessibility
VP student Voice has raised concerns with OU staff, regarding student support not being accessible, where often students that try to use the live chat are diverted to phone call student support, which is a big barrier for students with anxiety. Therefore, have raised concerns around student support in the hope that it will improve student experience.
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University communications with Students
FBL students have raised concerns about the lack of communication around the new LLM (Law Masters) and the grading boundaries.
Students across Wales have raised concerns about communication and support from their tutors, with many reporting no contact or feeling misunderstood. The Wales Student Representative has encouraged students experiencing no communication to reach out to their module support teams, who then facilitate tutor contact.
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Equity & Inclusion
Students across Wales have called for more inclusive in-person events and stronger community support to combat isolation, especially among those in rural areas and underrepresented groups. In response, the Wales Student Representative runs the Wales Club, organising meetups across Wales and virtual events accessible to all, including collaboration with the Disabled Students Group and Pride Support Group to celebrate diversity and build connection.
SLT Achievements
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The Student Leadership Team are excited to now have all but one positions filled, following a competitive By-election. New members of the SLT have been getting onboarded and have hit the ground running in their new roles!
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Open SU and the OU given silver accreditation by Hedgehog Friendly Campus! See here for more information.
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The Wales Area Rep successfully completed the OUSET challenge by walking the Three Yorkshire Peaks, helping to raise funds to support students in need. This effort reflects his ongoing commitment to supporting the OU student community and promoting wellbeing among students facing financial or personal difficulties.
SLT Social Media Conversations
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The Deputy President encourages students to attend the Big Meet-up via Facebook.
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The President shared her fears about submitting her TMA02 of her Masters module H880 on Linked In.
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The President posted about attending the OU in Ireland graduation ceremony in Dublin at Croke Park on 13th June 2025 and how great it was to see so many OU students cross the stage and celebrate their hard work, via Linked In.
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The Wales Rep shared a photo showing the happiness brought to the student community by the creation and hosting of Wales Club events, on Facebook.
We Need You!
We really want to know about the issues affecting you, as OU Students! Use our Student Issues reporting tool to submit your issues, comment on the issues of others, and up/down vote the issues important to you!
Other News & Ongoing Projects
President:
As the OU and Higher Education is going through a period of significant change the President has been working with the Open SU Student Voice team to ensure that student voice continues to be embedded in university decision making. We have been addressing the occasions where this has not been included and looking at implementing ways of working to stop this from happening again.
The President took part in a student roundtable with Baroness Jacqui Smith - Minister for Skills. Where she heard from a variety of OU students who has all accessed OU study in different ways and have had varied experiences. Baroness Smith was very engaged and took a real interest in our stories and experiences and it was a real showcase of the transformative power of the OU.
The President attended an event at Bridgend college to take part in a panel discussion about the importance of Learner Voice in student experience research. Hosted by the OU in Wales the event was reflecting on the collaborative work and knowledge sharing across the Welsh Higher and Further Education system.
Vice Presidents:
VP Student Voice:
Attended the Student Consultations and gave a presentation with the Student Member of Council and Open SU Student Voice Manager, asking students questions and getting helpful and insightful responses that the team will use to make a difference for their student experience.
VP EDI:
EDI Team/VP EDI are working on a schedule for some exciting events across the broad range of things covered under the EDI umbrella.
Not only to bring students together and help them form connections, but also to create a safe space to express any concerns or areas of improvement they would like to see from the OU or OU Student Union.
Area Representatives:
Wales Rep:
As part of the STEM faculty EDI Working Group, the Wales Student Representative ensures the voices of Welsh students are heard in shaping more inclusive learning environments within the faculty. This includes developing “study together” sessions that bring in tutors from across the faculty. The Wales Representative also uses this platform to push for and ensure Welsh students benefit from support that reflects the diversity and unique challenges of their communities.
The Wales Student Representative is now running the Wales Club and delivering in-person and virtual events that bring students together from across the country. Other updates include hosting Results Day events, continuing to promote the OUSET challenge to support students in need, and pushing for more graduation ceremonies to take place in Wales — making these milestone moments easier to access and celebrate for Welsh students.
International Rep:
The International Area Representative continued to liaise with OU staff from the Careers and Employability Services and with the OU Senior Marketing Manager to discuss challenges faced by international students, as well as opportunities for international students.
The International Area Representative participated in the OU’s Virtual Open Days in May, June and July 2025 and answered any questions prospective students had.
The International Area Representative hosted an online Chat and Quiz for international students. Several international students who had never attended an international meet-up before also joined. The International Area Representative hosted monthly Bingo games as well.
Sustainability Representative:
The Sustainability Representative has continued to chair monthly meetings with the Environment and Sustainability group with charisma and a welcoming attitude. They introduced a new section to the meeting inviting attendees to share any thoughts they had on sustainability events, initiatives or changes that they wanted to see happen. This saw the most engagement from even the newer members so this was fantastic to see.
Jethro also co-hosted a Responsible Futures event with other accredited institutions. Jethro ran a session with the Head of Careers and Employability and one of the lecturers in Design on Green Skills. Lots of opinions and experiences were gathered from students and staff from universities around the world who are interested in embedding sustainability in the curriculum and skills needed to be a green citizen.