They say all good things must come to an end, right? And the last five years as a Student Representative has definitely been a good thing! And whilst I am writing this on my last working day as Deputy President of the OU Students Association, for me this does not feel like the end. This might be because I am moving to join the staff team to become a Volunteering and Representation Officer for the next nine months. So whilst this might not be the end, but instead the beginning of a new chapter, I thought it would be a nice idea to share my reflections of five years as a student representative.
Just over six years ago, I started studying with the OU, and I have to admit to not knowing the Students Association even existed for the first year. This all changed when I attended an FBL (Faculty of Business and Law) Conference and got speaking to two members of the Student Leadership Team (SLT), then known as the Central Executive Committee (CEC). These two members, Fanni Nicoll and Matt Porterfield, have become lifelong friends, but more immediately at the time, they generated interest in getting involved with the Students Association. I went home after the conference, and immediately started looking into the opportunities, and very quicky volunteered to become a Student Representative for the Law School and a Forum Moderator. I also volunteered at the Cardiff graduation that year.
This began a journey which has had its ups and downs, but even the challenges have been enjoyable. For me, this journey has also been very beneficial to my health too. I have never made a secret of the fact that my signing up to the OU was related to some mental health challenges that I had been experiencing, which led me to stop working for a period of time. Wanting to keep myself busy, I signed up for the OU, but I strongly credit being a volunteer with the Students Association as integral to my own recovery.
Fast forward about nine months, and I found myself attending the CEC meeting as an observer. This was a few months before the 2020 elections, and this meeting convinced me that I wanted to stand in the election. Despite being apprehensive, I was glad that I did, and soon became the Faculty Representative for FBL.
Any term on the SLT/CEC is not without its challenges, and the 2020-2022 term certainly lived up to this. As the election process was in full swing, the full effects of the COVID pandemic started to bite, and this was to be the theme throughout the entire term. However, there were still many positives in this term. For me, these included:
- Designing the OU Students Association Tutor Awards – and running the first iteration alongside my fellow Faculty Representatives.
- Designing and running the 2021 FBL Student/Tutor Conference.
- Working with the OU to develop a new system for students to receive bespoke academic references.
For some volunteers, one term on the CEC might have been enough, but not for me. By now, I really had the bug and stood in the 2022 elections for the role of Deputy President. Unfortunately, I was not initially elected to the role, though my disappointment was short-lived, as a change in circumstances led the initial successful candidate to withdraw, and a re-running of the votes meant that I was to take up the role of Deputy President for the 2022-2024 term.
Being Deputy President has been a highlight in itself. I have found the role to be both challenging and satisfying. The variety of areas you find yourself involved in has kept the role exciting, and it was quickly evident that despite starting the role as part-time, it needed to be a full-time commitment. Again, the 2022-2024 term was not without its challenges, and the new team were quickly facing one, with the death of HM The Queen coming just six weeks into the term. This was unprecedented for the Students Association, with the reign of The Queen lasting longer than the Students Association had been in existence! The other big challenge of this term was ongoing industrial action, in particular the effects of the Marking and Assessment Boycott in 2023.
However, despite the challenges, the highs again outweighed the lows, and for me, some of the highlights of the term were:
- Being able to visit and meet with students in all four nations of the UK and in Ireland. This was at a variety of events, including Freshers, graduations and student consultations.
- Seeing the Tutor Awards grow by over 400% in its second year.
- Developing the SLT’s processes, including changing its name, meeting structures and reporting processes to make it more accessible to students.
- Being able to publicly represent students more, including giving evidence at a UK Parliament Education Select Committee.
And whilst I have some disappointment at not finishing the full term, this is tempered by a sense of excitement in continuing to support the Students Association (in particular, our hundreds of amazing volunteers) alongside the sense of accomplishment I feel on what the team I have been a part of has managed to achieve.
I have loved being a Student Representative and would always encourage people to consider if they could get involved. For me, it has been an exciting way to contribute to positive improvements to the student experience, as well as to give something back. I know that the 2024 election process is currently taking place, and I cannot wait to see what the next team manage to do, and I will be rooting them on all the way.
A reflective piece would not be complete without a word of thanks. There are far too many people to thank individually, so I would like to thank every student volunteer, SLT/CEC member, Association staff member, OU staff member and OU student who have been an integral part of my journey, and have also supported me and the Association. I would like to give a particular thanks to my wife (Kirsty – also an OU student) and two children, who have always been supportive to me, particularly when I was a volunteer or spent a significant amount of time away from home with work.
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