A busy time for Student Consultation!

Huge thanks to all of you who have taken part in online consultation forums over the past few months – it’s been a busy time! Here we’re rounding up all the news from new forums and developments from previous forums since April 2025.

There has been five general Student Consultation Online Forums. The Generative AI forum saw discussion around the ethics of using GenAI, including whether it hands an unfair advantage to students with the knowledge to make the most of its capabilities; and discussion around how “accepted” applications such as Grammarly fit into the OU’s AI guidance.

The Information Security forum covered how we can make OU study more secure and how to communicate safety and security within a study context; whilst the TMA/iCMA policy forum reviewed how to improve clarity around deadlines and the role of Turnitin.

Forums seeking lived experience from students who identify as members of an underrepresented group, organised by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences; and opinions on the shape of a new Sustainable Environments qualification from the Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics also provided valuable feedback in this period.

There have been eight Boards of Studies Student Consultation Forums in the past few months:

• Arts & Humanities
• Education, Childhood, Youth & Sport
• Social Sciences & Global Studies
• Health, Wellbeing & Social Care
• Languages & Applied Linguistics
• Law
• Business
• Access Modules

We’ve also had a response from the University for the Educational Gain Student Consultation Online Forum. Your recommendations on improving the definition have been taken on board, including expanding upon the original skills-focused definition to include a wider sense of social justice and community impact.

Thank you to all students who have contributed to our recent consultations. If you’d like to get involved in Student Consultation in the future, don’t forget to sign up to our mailing list.