During Student Voice Week back in November 2025, our EDI and Belonging team teamed up with the OU Pride Committee to run a session about our recently launched Trans Inclusion Plan. Our aim was to hear directly from students about what’s working, what’s missing, and what would make things better. We asked three questions:
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What feels inclusive about the plan?
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What’s missing or unclear?
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What would make you feel more supported?
One attendee shared their experience of the session, saying: “OU Pride and the teams involved put on an amazing session. It was incredibly informative, so open, everyone was so inviting and well-informed.”
We’re so grateful to everyone who joined in and contributed their thoughts. Your honest, open and thoughtful feedback is incredibly helpful in making Open SU and the OU a more inclusive and welcoming space for our Trans students.
Here’s a snapshot of what you told us:
The big picture
Overall, students reported that the OU does not currently feel supportive or inclusive for trans students, and that significant improvements are needed to ensure equitable treatment and a welcoming environment.
Pronouns matter
The current system does not allow student reps to include their pronouns in their email signatures. As a result, they are frequently misgendered, which can cause distress and undermine their sense of safety and belonging.
Visibility and data
Students felt that the OU should collect, publish, and make better use of information and data relating to trans members of staff. This would help improve visibility, understanding, and the development of appropriate support structures.
More guidance
There is insufficient support across the OU regarding the experiences of trans students. This lack of institutional guidance contributes to widespread misunderstanding and unintentional ignorance within the OU community at all levels.
Collaboration is key
Students expressed a desire for greater collaboration between different student groups, with more joint activities and cross-group initiatives to strengthen cohesion and create more inclusive support networks across societies, clubs, and communities.
Empowerment sessions
Students suggested offering more sessions focused on empowering trans students within OU spaces. These could help individuals understand their rights, recognise how they should be treated, and build confidence in asserting themselves and speaking out when necessary.
Respectful spaces
Students shared that trans students are not consistently supported by staff or fellow students when they speak about their experiences in meetings, groups, or other spaces. They felt that more proactive measures are needed to ensure that trans voices are heard and respected.
Clear routes for raising concerns
Several students emphasised the need for more accessible avenues to raise concerns or complaints directly with the OU. They said that while the Individual Representation team at Open SU has been supportive, the wider OU must take greater responsibility in addressing issues raised by trans students.
Resources and signposting
Students recommended creating a clear and accessible Q&A page, containing accurate information and signposting to relevant resources specifically tailored for trans students.
Code of Conduct updates
It was felt that the Code of Conduct across OU spaces should be updated to explicitly outline expectations around treating trans members of the community with respect, openness, and dignity.
Learning together
Students proposed holding educational drop-ins for both staff and students to increase understanding of how best to support, advocate for, and interact respectfully with trans students.
Formal training for staff
They also noted that more formal training for OU staff on supporting trans students should be developed and implemented as standard practice.
Allyship in action
One suggestion was to run a session on “unlearning” internalised transphobia, alongside creating a dedicated section on the Allyship Hub that directs users to practical resources on how to stand up for the trans community and challenge bystander behaviour.
What's next?
Some of the actions you suggested were already in progress, and we've started working on the others too. Here are a few updates so far, but we recognise that this is just the beginning. We'll keep building on your helpful ideas and sharing more as we go.
We have:
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Created a Trans Inclusion Action Plan to better support trans students.
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Made plans to establish a Trans Inclusion Steering Group, led by trans students and staff to strategically guide the Trans Inclusion Action Plan.
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Increased engagement with the OU on how to improve trans inclusion.
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Worked closely with OU Pride and the LGBTQ+ Student Representative to ensure student voices are central.
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Developed an Allyship Hub, including a dedicated space on supporting LGBTQ+ students and signposting for trans‑specific resources.
We will:
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Hold a 'Becoming an Active Ally' session event as part of LGBT+ History Month, led by a trans activist, Rachel Padilla. Register here for the online session to secure your place.
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Promote and grow our newly-launched Allyship Hub with practical resources on standing up for trans students, challenging bystander behaviour, and unlearning internalised transphobia.
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Deliver more structured and consistent training for staff on supporting trans students.
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Continue to challenge the OU to make its systems more inclusive, including improving avenues for trans students to raise concerns.
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Review and push for updates to the OU Code of Conduct to clearly outline expectations around respect and inclusion.
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Support the development of empowerment sessions for trans students, focused on rights, confidence, and self‑advocacy.
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Encourage stronger collaboration between student groups to build inclusive, cross‑community support networks.
Thank you again for shaping these changes with us. Your voices matter, and we’re committed to turning them into action. If you would like to get in touch with our EDI and Belonging team with any comments, please email oustudents-belonging@open.ac.uk.