Senate and Student Senate Reference Group

Senate is the academic authority of the OU, and six student representatives attend on behalf of the OU Students Association. Volunteers on the Senate Reference Group also act as an advisory group for the student members of Senate.

In this section

The Senate is the academic authority of the Open University which meets four times each year to consider business that relates to the academic work of the University both in teaching and research. There are currently around 30 members of Senate including six student members who are decided by the Association:

President
Vice-President Education

Student Member of Council
Three Student Representatives, appointed by Appointments Committee

The purpose of the Open University Students Association’s Student Senate Reference Group is to act in an advisory capacity to the student members of Senate and, to ensure that the student members of Senate have the benefit of a face-to-face forum in which they can draw on the diversity of circumstances, views and opinions of students. There are currently around 30 members of the Student Senate Reference Group from a diverse range of backgrounds, ages, and regions, which allows for a greater depth of understanding of the key issues that come before the Senate.