What is Conference?
The OU Students Association Conference happens once every two years, and is a day filled with opportunities to get involved in your Students Association, take part in key Association business, find out about the services and support your Association offers, feed back to us on what matters to you, take part in workshops, and network with other OU students.
Where and when was the previous Conference held?
The OU Students Association biennial Conference last took place on Saturday 15 June 2024. The next one will be held in 2026. Like the 2024 event, it will be solely online to maximise the number of OU students who can attend!
Why is Conference now online?
We believe that holding Conference online makes the event more representative, democratic and inclusive. It allows us to remove the cap of around 300 students who could attend and vote in previous conferences, and to be more inclusive in allowing those who wouldn’t be able to make it to one central site to join in as well. The two-week voting window also widens the opportunities to vote.
Am I eligible to attend?
All Open University students are able to attend Conference, provided that they vote on Conference business beforehand (during our voting window). This applies to all OU students who have studied with the OU within the last two years (unless they have completed their qualification).
When voting, students are asked to share their Personal Identifier (PI number), which is a letter followed by seven numbers. It's important that this is accurate, as it is our way of verifying you on our system!
How do I get a place?
You will need to vote on Conference business during our voting window (24 May to 7 June) to be able to attend Conference, but numbers will be uncapped for the first time ever! Once the voting window closes, all students who have voted will receive a link to sign up for Conference.
How do you safeguard my personal data?
We only ask you for information we require for the purposes of managing the event, including enabling you to vote and to attend the online Conference. After the event, once we have completed our evaluation, your data is deleted. We may anonymise it to provide a demographic analysis of those participating in this process, but you won’t be identifiable from any analysis. You can read more about this in the Students Association’s Privacy Policy.
What does it cost?
The event is free of charge to attend, but you will need to vote in the Association business to secure your place!
What if I can’t make it, after all?
If you sign up, then we encourage you to attend. However, we do understand that life can get in the way, so if you sign up and then something comes around meaning you can no longer attend, do not worry. Spaces for Conference are not limited.
I am not active in the Students Association – can I still go?
Students who are not currently involved in the OU Students Association are more than welcome to sign up to attend, as long as you have chosen not to opt out of your Association membership. We are very excited to welcome students who haven’t been involved in the Association before, as well as our active students.
Who runs Conference?
Conference is run by the OU Students Association. It is a charity organisation run by students, for students. A number of elected representatives, volunteers and staff work online to help facilitate and run the online event.
What is meant by Conference Business?
Part of the event is dedicated to announcing decisions resulting from the official voting, which takes place before every Conference. This is because the results of these votes affects every OU student. Before Conference, all the relevant information is available online, where debates and discussions can take place so you can decide how to vote.
Can I put forward a policy idea to be voted on?
We appreciate students wishing to put forward policy ideas to be voted on by fellow students. In March 2024, we opened a webpage where students could make suggestions for policy, as well as voting (up or down) and commenting on other students’ ideas. This closed at the end of April 2024, to give the Trustees time to consider the support of all suggestions, and to get all related documents finalised in time for debating and voting.
One of the suggestions made on the policy suggestions webpage received support, and was voted on as Resolution F: “Approve a motion for representatives of the OU Students Association to campaign for the University not to reduce the existing curriculum, even when making financial cuts, but rather to find ways of preserving and, wherever possible extending, the curriculum”. This resolution passed, with a 93.40% approval rate.
At all times, the student issues webpage remains available for students to submit anything they would like the Student Leadership Team (SLT) to look at on their behalf.
When do I vote?
You need to vote on the business of Conference, which will enable you full access to the Conference. Voting is held online for a fortnight in the lead-up to each Conference.
What if I don’t know anyone?
The OU Students Association Conference is a fantastic opportunity to join in with fellow students. In 2024, more students than ever before attended (over 1,000 attendees). This is because the event was uncapped, meaning that all eligible students who voted were able to attend.
I don’t know anything about the OU Students Association or student politics – is it worth my while? (I’m worried everyone else knows all about it and it’s my first time)
Don't worry if you are new to the OU Students Association. You certainly won't be the only one. Our mission is to represent the community and the voice of OU students. Conference is an opportunity for you to have your say on a number of decisions that will impact OU students, and it's also a chance to engage with your fellow students and find out more about your University. Everyone starts somewhere!
Is Conference suitable for my additional needs?
If you have additional needs, please let us know by emailing oustudents-conference@open.ac.uk. We do our utmost to ensure that materials and resources are accessible, as well as supporting students when online events are taking place.
Can I access technical help during Conference?
When Conference day takes place, attendees are given the chance to contact our Helpdesk to receive support on 01908 653819.
How do I join the sessions?
You will be able to use the Association app on mobile devices (or our Guidebook on a browser) for links to the sessions within the event listings. Our Conference sessions are mostly Microsoft Teams meetings and live events that you do not have to be logged in for, and will open automatically in your browser.
Can I partake in Q&As and discussions in the meetings?
This will be dependent on the session type, although some will allow for this.
I cannot hear or see any content in the meetings and events, and/or no one can see or hear me!
It's worth checking a few different areas before panicking:
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Is your microphone and/or camera muted?
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If you're using a browser rather than the Teams app, does it have permission to use your microphone and/or camera?
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We recommend using the Teams app if possible (it's downloadable for your phone and desktop), though all sessions should work through your web browser too.
Do you have more questions? No problem! Please email oustudents-conference@open.ac.uk.