The decision to become Open SU was not made lightly, and the final vote sat firmly with OU students.
The decision to become Open SU was not made lightly, and the final vote sat firmly with OU students.
For years, we’ve worked like a Students Union in everything but name. We represented, we campaigned, and we supported, but it became apparent that the term ‘Association’ wasn’t immediately familiar to a large amount of current OU students.
In 2024, discussions between the Student Leadership Team (SLT) and Board of Trustees began, focused on student awareness of the Association, and sparking the concept of a full rebrand.
The idea wasn’t made behind closed doors though, and we put it in the hands of the OU student body to make the final call.
First, the idea was taken to the yearly student consultations, a set of UK-wide sessions where students are asked about their opinions on a variety of topics. 62% of students suggested they preferred the term Students Union to Students Association, and the decision was made to put the idea to a vote during the 2024 Conference.
Our Conferences happen every two years, jam-packed with workshops, meet-ups and voting on a range of ideas and changes submitted by students, the SLT and the Board of Trustees. During the 2024 Conference, students voted to pass the motion that would eventually see the OU Students Association transform into Open SU, with 83.3% of voters approving the change.
From that moment, we got to work, hiring an external company to develop our new branding. Members of the student body and staff team reviewed the designs and messaging every step of the way, ensuring accessibility was at the forefront of every decision. With student input every step of the way, we built a new identity that reflects who we are now, who we have been, and who we want to become.
So here we are, Open SU. A new name with the same aim, and a decision powered by students, for students.
