There are a number of forums for you to interact with within your role as a Student Voice volunteer. This is the place where all announcements, opportunities and information will be shared. You should aim to check the forums twice a week. You can follow the forums to set up alerts too.
Student Voice Café: This forum is for all Student Voice volunteers and is where we post all non-confidential news and information, as well as where you can find dates and links for the Monthly Student Voice Forum. It is also an informal space to get to know each other, share non-confidential information and interact with other student reps within this there is a channel specifically for Student Representatives:
Student Representatives 2023-2025
There are channels within this group called:
News and Announcements - The Volunteer and Representative team pop updates here.
Monthy Student Voice Online Forum - Links to the session and agenda and presentations.
Training and important documents - Information, events and opporutnities for training.
Student Rep Reports & Information 23-25: This forum is where you will be expected to post the report from your committee meeting to keep the rest of the Rep team informed. The template for reports can be found in this forum.
General Chat - All things Student Rep.
Student Senate Reference Group 23-25: This forum is used by all members of the Student Senate Reference Group. These forums are used to discuss papers and policy that will be taken to Senate.
OU Student Consultation Forums: These forums are used for one-off consultations. If you are a member of a Board of Studies you will be added to these and are expected to take part in the activity – however, there are some restrictions on this. If you would like to volunteer your time with the Student Consultation Office and be involved in further discussions, you can opt-in for special activities.
It is good practice to have a look around, introduce yourself, and begin getting to know other people. Have a look to see what other volunteers and officers are talking about and see whether there are any common issues being discussed. Some students have been volunteering in similar roles for a long time and will be able to draw on lots of knowledge and experience. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and get explanations of any acronyms, after all, we were all new once!
The SLT and Association staff also have access to these forums, however they won’t always be checking them or answering questions. If you would like to highlight a particular conversation/thread or report any inappropriate behaviour to a member of staff, please email the link to the Volunteering and Representation team.
The same goes for any questions or comments directed towards another officer. You may need to signpost these directly to the individual concerned as they are volunteers just like you and may not have time to read through all comments of a thread.
How to be effective in your role