Student support

The Open SU Student Leadership Team has made student support a top priority because every Open University student deserves timely, accessible, and high-quality help throughout their studies.

We know there is already great practice across the OU, but the experience of getting support can vary a lot. Our goal is to make sure all students receive the same high standard of care and responsiveness, no matter their circumstances.

What this means

We want to improve access to OU support services and make them more available to meet the diverse needs of students.
The OU is unique in its size and diversity, so its support systems must reflect the different barriers students face.
This means offering flexible ways for students to contact support teams and creating personalised pathways that fit different schedules, responsibilities, and backgrounds.

Contacting the Student Support team

Student Support team opening hours

The OU should trial evening and Saturday opening hours to help students who work full-time or have weekday commitments. This would also support international students in different time zones.
During busy periods—such as results days, module start dates, registration deadlines, and exam weeks—Student Support Teams should extend their opening hours.

Accessibility for international students

International students should be able to request a callback through the scheduled contact service to avoid long waits and make support easier across time zones.
The OU should promote the scheduled contact service clearly on the website, in student emails, and during tutorials so students know they can book a convenient time for help.

Ways to contact student support

The OU should expand web chat support, following the OU Library’s example of extended hours and quick responses.
The OU should explore additional digital options, like secure messaging apps or integrated tools in the student portal, to give students more flexible ways to reach support.

Reducing wait times

Extra staff or temporary support should be added during high-demand periods to cut phone queues and speed up responses.
The OU should set targets for faster email turnaround, prioritising urgent cases. A triage system could help flag and resolve critical issues quickly.
Call handling should be improved so students aren’t passed around. Staff should be empowered to resolve issues or escalate efficiently. If tutors are unavailable, Student Support should step in to prevent delays.

Follow-up on sensitive issues

When a student raises a sensitive query, one staff member or team should take ownership of the case.
The OU should introduce proactive follow-up, keeping students updated and letting them know who to contact for further questions.

Routing calls

Students should be connected directly to the Student Support team, not routed through Student Recruitment.

Student Support team knowledge

Closing knowledge gaps in support

The OU should regularly review and update its Knowledge Management System so staff always have accurate, up-to-date information.
Staff should have dedicated time to read updates and stay familiar with changes to policies, processes, and resources.
Comprehensive onboarding and ongoing training should be provided for Student Support Team staff to ensure they can meet the diverse needs of OU students.

Consistency of information

The OU should create clear, unified processes and guidance that apply across all faculties and nations.
Advisors should receive regular training and scheduled update sessions to stay informed about the latest policies and procedures.
Staff should have access to systems that record previous student interactions, so they can provide informed and consistent support.

Understanding student challenges

The OU should train Student Support Team advisors on the unique challenges OU students face.
Feedback and case studies from students should be collected regularly to improve training and services.
Staff workloads and schedules should allow enough time for meaningful engagement with students.

Awareness of Open SU services

All Student Support Team staff should receive training on the services offered by Open SU.
Open SU should be invited to deliver regular presentations or briefing sessions to keep staff informed.

Support for disabled students

Proactive contact for students with declared disabilities

The OU should reach out to disabled students at key points in the academic year and offer an easy way to book a support call.
An automated system should trigger contact when a student completes the Disability Support Form.

Better signposting for students who may need to declare a disability

The OU should create audio or video guides explaining the process and what happens when a student declares a disability.
The process should be accessible for neurodivergent students.
Instructions and next steps should be broken into smaller, easy-to-digest chunks for students who struggle with large blocks of text.

Flexible processes and reasonable adjustments

The OU should inform students about interim support options while their Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is being processed.
Clear guidance should be provided on applying for DSA, with streamlined processes to avoid delays.
Information should be available in multiple formats—written, audio, and video—for accessibility.

Understanding individual student needs

The OU could use secure AI tools to summarise and share student needs with relevant staff.
A dedicated staff member should be assigned to students with complex needs to provide consistent support.

Student onboarding

Helping students share their needs during onboarding

The OU should include an induction process where students confirm they’ve read key information.
Students should receive confirmation that their needs have been recorded, along with clear next steps for support.
The induction process should guide students through registration with:
- Step-by-step guidance: At each stage, explain processes like declaring a disability, what details are needed, and what happens next.
- Active acknowledgment: Students confirm they’ve understood the information before moving on.
- Extra resources: Provide links for further reading or bookmarking for later.
- Dedicated web page: A central place where students can revisit this information anytime.
Students should be contacted to discuss their needs well before their first assessment deadline.

Clear signposting to support services

The induction process should include clear, accessible details about all available support services, using multiple formats (text, video, links).
Students should receive tailored emails with relevant support based on what they’ve declared.

Data sharing

Making sure staff have the right access to student information

Set clear access levels for different staff roles so those who need student data can get it quickly.
Create secure but simple systems for requesting extra access when needed.
Provide training on data protection and ethical use of student information to maintain trust and compliance.

Supporting staff to act on information

Ensure staff have the time and resources to use the information effectively.
Offer clear guidance and escalation routes for staff who can’t respond promptly, so students aren’t left waiting.

Keeping information accurate and up-to-date

At the start of each module, check what went well and whether anything has changed.
Encourage students to update their profiles and circumstances through easy, accessible processes.
Send reminders at the start of each module, prompting students to contact Student Support if their circumstances have changed, and provide helpful signposts if they do.
Use predictive analytics or early warning indicators to identify students who may need extra support before problems escalate.

Wider support services

Signposting wider support services

New students should always be directed to key support services like the library and careers.
Students should be encouraged to take part in induction training, such as OU Ready.

Support for carers

Students who have ‘Carer’ marked in their profile should receive an email with details of the support available to them.
Tutors should be informed when a student is a carer so they can acknowledge and accommodate this.

Support for students in secure environments (SiSE)

Educational Advisors should be given clear, concise information to share with SiSE students to make signposting easier.
SiSE students who don’t have internet or email access should be provided with the postal address of their Student Support Team, or their Educational Advisor should advocate for them.
Briefings for Educational Advisors should include information about Library Study Volunteers and local services.

Access to wellbeing resources

A wider range of appropriate wellbeing resources should be available for OU students.
Signposting should be tailored to individual needs, not just generic wellbeing advice.
Students should have access to a dedicated space where they can choose regional support services when relevant, while recognising that many students are based outside the UK and Ireland.

For more information on these recommendations, take a look at the full Best Practice in Student Support document below.

Open SU: Best Practice in Student Support