Other views

Our Student Leadership Team (SLT) regularly hears from students about the issues that matter most to them. This feedback comes through forums, social media, emails, the Open SU Student Issues page, and discussions at meetings.

As OU students themselves, SLT members also experience many of the same challenges. Based on these insights and their agreed priority areas, the SLT have identified areas where they want to share their position:

The return of face-to-face exams
Graduation ceremonies
The impact of generative AI on academic misconduct
Changes to welfare support and how these affect OU students

We also include in this area our Manifesto for Lifelong Learning, first introduced in 2024.

The reintroduction of face-to-face exams

While Open SU is not against face-to-face exams, the Student Leadership Team has highlighted some important considerations:

Accessibility

If face-to-face exams return, they must be fully accessible. This means:
- Venues that accommodate students with disabilities.
- Locations within reasonable distance for all students, including international learners.
- Scheduling that works for students with jobs or caring responsibilities.

Alternative options for disabled students

Students with declared disabilities that prevent them from attending an exam venue must be offered alternative assessment options.

Relevance and skills-based assessment

Face-to-face exams should reflect modern educational needs. They should go beyond memorisation and focus on skills and applying knowledge.

Not the default option

Face-to-face exams should not automatically become the standard assessment method. Decisions should consider the needs of each subject and explore alternatives where appropriate.

Graduation ceremonies

Open SU believes the following points should guide the OU’s approach to graduation ceremonies:

Increase capacity

The OU should offer more spaces at graduation ceremonies to meet student demand.

Broaden venue options

Current venues are popular and central, but the OU should explore a wider range of locations and rotate them. This might mean students wait longer for their preferred venue, but it will improve overall accessibility.

Reintroduce online graduations

The OU should look at the interest and feasibility of bringing back online graduation ceremonies. These were popular during the COVID-19 pandemic and provided a flexible, lower-cost option that is currently unavailable.

The impact of generative AI on academic misconduct

Open SU believes the OU should follow these principles when addressing the impact of generative AI:

Differentiate between mistakes and deliberate cheating

The OU should distinguish between students who make honest mistakes and those who intentionally use AI to replace their own work. If skills gaps are the issue, the focus should be on teaching correct methods—not punishment.

Integrate AI into learning

AI is becoming an essential skill for work and society. The OU should explore ways to include generative AI in teaching and assessment, in a way that is ethical and sustainable, to prepare students for real-world contexts.

Provide clear, updated guidance

AI tools evolve quickly. Guidance should be updated regularly and shared in a clear, accessible format so students know what is allowed and where to find the information.

Resource academic misconduct investigations

The OU must allocate enough resources to handle misconduct investigations promptly, including extra capacity during busy periods and timely resolution for in-year assessments.

Changes to welfare support and how these affect OU students

Open SU believes the OU should adopt the following principles and actions:

Advocacy and representation

The OU should actively advocate for the needs of distance learning students in discussions with government and relevant agencies, ensuring that policy changes do not disadvantage students who rely on welfare or disability support.

Clear guidance and communication

The OU should provide clear, accessible information to students about how changes to welfare benefits or capability assessments may affect them, including signposting to external support and advice services.

Flexible study options

Where students experience disruption due to changes in benefits or support, the OU should offer flexible study arrangements, such as extensions, deferments, or alternative assessment options, to minimise the impact on academic progress.

Support for mobility and accessibility

The OU should work to ensure that students who lose access to schemes like Motability are not excluded from in-person opportunities by exploring alternative transport support or remote participation options.

Monitoring and feedback

The OU should regularly monitor the impact of welfare and support changes on students, and engage with the Open SU Student Leadership Team to identify emerging issues and co-create solutions.

Open SU Lifelong Learning Manifesto

Student finance

Make student finance more flexible by allowing distance-learning students to access maintenance loans through the Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE).
Help make studying affordable by:
- Extending childcare and parent support grants to part-time students.
- Removing the age limit for tuition fee loans under the LLE, and lifting the current age cap (60) on postgraduate loans.
Improve how benefits and student finance work together by:
- Reviewing how the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and student finance systems interact, so students aren’t penalised for studying.
- Training DWP and student finance advisers to better support students on Universal Credit.

Inclusivity

Ensure affordable, high-speed broadband is available to all UK households.
Improve diagnosis and support for students with additional learning needs by:
- Creating a joined-up approach across health, social care, and education services.
- Making sure universities and apprenticeship providers have the resources to support these students.
Recognise that students study for many reasons by:
- Asking the OfS to broaden its definition of success, using TEF (Teaching Excellence Framework) and National Student Survey data – not just career outcomes.
- Reducing the focus on employability and valuing personal development, such as volunteering, caring for someone, or starting a business.

For more information on the other SLT views, please take a look at the full Student Leadership Team Position Statements document below.

You can also view our Manifesto for Lifelong Learning. (This was produced before our rebrand to Open SU.)

Open SU: Student Leadership Team Position Statements

Manifesto for Lifelong Learning