As we celebrate Volunteers’ Week 2026, we want to pause and recognise something truly special – the incredible impact of our volunteers on student voice at Open SU.
The last 12 months have been nothing short of remarkable. Across The Open University, volunteers have made themselves known and contributed towards positive change to move the organisation forward.
A year of impact
The scale of contribution from our volunteers is inspiring:
- Nearly 100 Student Reps represented students across 44 OU committees, contributing to almost 200 meetings, totalling over 1200 hours of their time
- 76 Student Rep appointments worked across 51 OU project groups
- Over 200 attendees came to our consultations
- There were nearly 100 contributors to external consultative activities.
From shaping assessment strategies to influencing the future direction of the University, volunteers have ensured that students’ lived experiences are heard where it matters most. This is student voice in action and it’s making a difference.
Student reps in action
Our volunteers haven’t just been present, they’ve been changemakers. Here are just a few examples of their powerful impact:
- Improving belonging and wellbeing support: Our Student Reps provided input into Access Reimagined, an OU project which introduced (among other things) meet and greet events for new students, introductory calls from tutors, and wellbeing and community-focused events that are now a core part of Access-wide sessions.
- Bringing students together: A student-led “Access Natter” event connected 40 students, creating a supportive space to share experiences and build confidence. The impact was clear with around half of the attendees going on to enrol in Level 1 modules.
- Change through persistence: After 18 months of consistent advocacy, one of our Student Reps successfully brought attention to a previously overlooked issue, leading to action being taken to address it.
- Protecting the student voice: At a key committee meeting, our Student Reps challenged proposals to reduce student consultation, ensuring that student input remains central to curriculum decisions.
- Strengthening future representation: Future Student Reps can now submit agenda items directly to a Board of Studies, embedding student voice even more deeply in decision-making.
- Inspiring others to step forward: By championing the role, our volunteers have encouraged more students to get involved and become representatives themselves.
Student leaders
Our student leaders have played a vital role in shaping and amplifying student perspectives.
They led the creation of the What We Believe In Hub, clearly setting out Open SU’s positions on key issues from tutorials and student support to curriculum changes and graduation experiences
These perspectives have been shared widely, with over 2,000 OU staff engaging with this work, ensuring that student views have been heard and understood.
Student leaders have also embedded the issues tool into their work, regularly reviewing student concerns and agreeing on meaningful actions. This ensures that the issues that matter most to students remain front and centre.
Creating spaces for student voice
In the last 12 months, our Student Reps have brought the wider issues in higher education to their work, shaping conversations across the OU.
- Our Student Reps shared their experiences at the Explorance Conference on Student Voices in Higher Education in February, demonstrating the strength and credibility of student voice at the OU.
- During consultations, our volunteers ensured that student views informed key decisions on subjects such as assistive technology funding, teaching frameworks, and accessibility.
- Student Reps discussed topics such as governance, strategy, and quality assurance at monthly forums, which focused on the student perspective.
Listening to a wider array of voices
One of the biggest achievements in the last 12 months has been expanding the reach of who we've listened to:
- We actively engaged Open SU support groups, ensuring that students directly affected by key issues were part of the conversation.
- We transformed participation in OU project groups. Previously, 85% of meetings were attended solely by student leaders – now, 60% of opportunities are taken up by a wider volunteer pool. This has led to diverse perspectives, inclusive decision-making, and a more sustainable approach for our student leaders.
Thank you
Everything we’ve achieved above is down to our volunteers. Their time, passion, and willingness to speak up have made a better university experience for all OU students across the UK. They've asked difficult questions, brought people together, and made change happen.
So if you are one of our volunteers, we'd like to say a heartfelt thank you.
Sign up
If you'd like to volunteer for Open SU, you can register below.
Sign up to become an Open SU volunteer