Conference resolutions (including, what do you think of us being called OpenSU?)

Resolution A is the proposal to officially approve the change to the name of our elected Student team from ‘Central Executive Committee’ to ‘Student Leadership Team’. 

We want to answer any questions you have to ensure you have all the information you need to vote on the Conference resolutions. You can submit your questions on the Voting on resolutions page on our website. 

If you have questions you would like to ask at the Students Association Business session on Saturday 15 June, you can submit these by completing this form.  

Resolution B proposes changing our elected Student Leadership Team to include three to five Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) roles to represent the existing Groups at the Association in a more comprehensive way.

Resolution C proposes a trustee term change for 2026 to be a one, rather than two-year term in a move towards then holding separate annual elections for student leaders and trustees.  

Resolution D asks students to vote on a motion to rebrand the OU Students Association to be known as the OU Student Union (OpenSU).

We want to know what OU students think about what we should name our organisation.

Do you find us more recognisable as an Association or a Union?  

Which wording do you prefer for an organisation that exists to help and support students at The Open University?  

Would you be more likely to engage with a Student Union or Students Association?

Let us know by casting your vote on the Conference resolutions. Check your inbox on Friday 24 May to get your voter code and vote by clicking the link in the email.  

On the Conference voting site, you will also read about and vote on a student policy submission around the OU curriculum: 

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 was put forward by the Association's Faculty Representative for STEM, Nigel Patterson.  

Of course it is entirely understandable that, in difficult financial circumstances, it may be necessary to delay curriculum development and even to withdraw some less popular lower population modules as well as to rationalise some qualifications.

But in more propitious circumstances it is important to refresh and enrich the OU curriculum if the University is to remain attractive to prospective students and for our degrees to remain of comparable quality to those offered by other UK universities.

A richer curriculum is likely to be more satisfying to continuing OU students and more attractive to prospective students.

It is important that OU degrees remain of comparable quality to those offered by other universities in order to maintain their academic credibility.

Nigel Patterson, Faculty Representative for STEM

Once you vote you will be able to register to attend Conference itself which is absolutely FULL of inspiring sessions including talks on Artificial Intelligence, creative writing and talks from our star speakers: Susan Cain and Chris Packham! Read more about the sessions and see the full list on our Conference page.  

And as if these incredible sessions aren’t enough, once you vote you will have the opportunity to enter our prize draw for Conference voters to be in with the chance of winning a tablet, TOTUM card or OU Students Shop merch! Then when you attend sessions, you will be entered to win even more! Check out the full prize breakdown.