Student Consultation meetings - get involved!

Get involved in shaping your Open University study and tell us your ideas at the student consultations being held throughout April. To sign up, simply complete this form by Sunday 23 March.If you have any issues filling out this form, you can either use this form or email us: student-consultation-office@open.ac.uk.

The meetings will be hosted by OU staff. Join us in-person on the days below:

• Saturday 5 April, Crowne Plaza, Leeds, 10:00–16:15 (location)
• Saturday 5 April, The Open University in Wales, Cardiff, 10:00-16: 15 (location)
• Saturday 5 April, The Open University in Scotland, Edinburgh, 10:00-16:15 (location)
• Wednesday 9 April, The Open University, Milton Keynes, 10:00-16: 15 (location)
• Saturday 12 April, The Open University in Ireland, Belfast, 10:00-16: 15 (location)
• Saturday 12 April, London School of Economics, London, 10:00-16: 15 (location)

What will the meetings discuss?

We'll be running interactive sessions where you will:

• contribute to the proposed development of a new Artificial Intelligence Digital Assistant, and explore how AI can address some of your teaching, learning, and support needs in the near future,
• examine how our digital content relating to student support can be more useful to you, and
• give your feedback on the current Student Charter and start writing a new one!

The Open University Students Association will also be there to hear your views and help you get involved. Your feedback will shape how the Association represents you and responds to important student issues.

At the Belfast meeting there will be an additional opportunity to contribute to the planned Higher Education Funding Review by Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy, where you can have a direct impact on the future of Northern Ireland’s higher education sector.

The meetings are a great opportunity to get together with other students and learners and be part of the wider OU community.

Online consultation meetings

If you can’t make a face-to-face meeting, we have an online meeting focussed on each topic, as well as a forum that will be open all week:

• Monday 7 April – Developing an Artificial Intelligence Digital Assistant, 5.30-6.30pm
• Tuesday 8 April – Making digital content for student support easy to use, 12-1pm
• Wednesday 9 April – Student Charter, 5.30-6.30pm
• Thursday 10 April – OU Students Association, 5.30-6.30pm

Additionally, we invite students and learners from racially minoritised communities to a meeting on Friday 11 April to contribute to the OU’s work around the Race Equality Charter, 12-1pm.

What happens next?

Make sure to fill out the form by Sunday 23 March to get involved. If you are applying to attend a face-to-face meeting, please apply to the meeting closest to your home. Places are limited and will be allocated to ensure that students and learner from across our diverse student body are able to attend. In the meantime, please do keep the time free and please note, as there is often high demand for the face-to-face meetings in some locations and expenses are paid, we do expect that you attend for the whole day.

A summary of the feedback you give will be reviewed by senior staff in the University to inform ongoing improvements to your study experience. We will follow up after the meetings to let you know how your views have resulted in change.

If you wish to speak in Welsh at a Student Consultation Meeting, or have any questions, please email student-consultation-office@open.ac.uk.

We really hope you’ll be able to join us at one of the meetings, and if you can’t make it this time, be sure to join our mailing list to hear about further opportunities to be involved.

Sign up for the consultations here by 23rd March 2025