Who are Student Representatives?
The Association's Student Representatives enhance the teaching and learning experience of current and future students as members of one of the Open University’s “central committees”. These committees sit within the OU’s governance structure and are key to decision making. At these meetings, reps speak on matters from the committee papers which affect students, seeking to create positive change for students, and raise any issues as appropriate.
We have vacancies for student reps across a wide range of subjects, including post-graduate research students. See our chart below for the full list of committees and how they fit into the academic governance structure at the OU.
Committee Chart
Committee Descriptions
Role Tasks
- Most committees meet 4 times per academic year during normal office hours.
- Read committee papers in advance of the meeting
- Write a short report after the meeting
- Attend an evening online forum once a month led by the VP Education (optional)
Role Training
- Core volunteer training covering GDPR, PREVENT and Safeguarding
- A full role induction from Association staff, providing guidance on reading papers, attending meetings and preparing reports.
- Ongoing support and relevant training throughout your time in the role from Committee staff, and VP Education.
Skills developed in the role
- Leadership
- Critical thinking
- Report writing and paper reviews
- Decision-making
- Communicating with peers, committees and volunteers
Role benefits
- Join a friendly community of volunteers
- Networking opportunities with Association and OU staff
- Improving the teaching and learning experience of current and future students
- Supplying your expertise and insights will have a positive and long-lasting impact on projects and key decision making committees
Applications are currently closed. For more information please contact us oustudents-volunteer@open.ac.uk.
See our current opporunities.