Open University Students' Association

London Regional Forum

Support

The officers and delegates of the London Branches are the basis of the membership of the O U S A London Regional Forum, and it is these volunteer students who provide support, not just for other students, but also for the Open University Student Educational Trust (O U S E T) and O U S A.

Whether it's being a friendly voice on the end of the telephone, or selling merchandise, or meeting and greeting at graduation ceremonies and residential schools, the support offered to students is done by volunteers and if you think you could help out please do contact the relevant post-holder and offer your help. They will be more than pleased to see you and you'll get a lot of satisfaction and fun out of doing it!

And if you need to hear that friendly voice - please get in touch. Collectively most of us have come across the same problems that you might be having and we'd love to to be able to be able to help you or at least point you in the right direction.

Support for Students

Disabled Students

Academic Support

Student Support

FirstClass Conferencing (opens in a new window)

Support for OU, OUSA & OUSET

Degree Ceremony Marketing Co-ordinator

Residential School Co-ordinator

Residential School Marketing Co-ordinator

Delegates to OU Committees

Disabled Students' Link

The D S L is an elected post on the Regional Forum (R F) and is responsible for putting disabled students in touch with those who can help provide them with resources to help them in their studies.

Key tasks:

  • Liaise with the Regional Office
  • Be the point of contact for students, branches, and the RF with regard to disabled and or add ional needs issues
  • Liaise with the S S L (student support link) about disability and or additional needs
  • Review and comment on policies and strategies within the region from the OU and OUSA regarding there impact on students with disabilities and additional needs
  • To listen

Qualities needed by the D S L:

  • Good communication skills
  • Confidentiality
  • Listening skills
  • Some knowledge of disability or additional needs, either personal or professional

Training:

  • The V P Student Support and the V P Equal Opportunities via a weekend training course with other regional D S L's give training.
Send an email to the London RF Disabled Students' Link
Type ousainlondon followed by the "at" sign and then googlemail.com

Back

Student Support Link

The SSL is elected by the Regional Forum and its purpose is to help students by providing information, options, assistance and support within the region, and to help them to overcome problems affecting their ability to study with the Open University and liase between the student and the appropriate person(s) depending on the nature of the problem. In addition the S S L provides information on and assists with fundraising for the Open University Students Educational Trust (O U S E T).

If you have an academic query, about your course for example, you should contact your Student Academic Link.

If you need help please don't hesitate to contact the S S L by clicking on the envelope below, and if you think that being an S S L is something you would like to do then please also send an email to the SSL.

Send an email to the London RF Student Support Link
Type ousainlondon followed by the "at" sign and then googlemail.com

Back

Student Academic Link

Ideally there should be a Student Academic Link (S A L) studying in each faculty and they are chosen to help other students who are having problems with the academic side of OU life. They provide a link between students, the region and the faculty and they have acccess to a FirstClass Conference specifically for S A L s so that they can 'virtually' meet and discuss the problems that students in their faculties are coming up against so that solutions can be found. They work closely with the Student Support Link (S S L).

S A L s need to be helpful, good communicators and listeners, tactful, approachable, articulate and objective. If you think you could fill the bill you'll need the full job description, the call for nominations, and the application form which needs to be received by the OUSA office in July for the elections for the year beginning 1st September 2007. However, SALs can be elected at an RF meeting without having to go through all that rigamarole!

Send an email to the lead London RF Student Academic Link
Type ousainlondon followed by the "at" sign and then googlemail.com

Back

Degree Ceremony Marketing Co-ordinator

This co-ordinator liaises with the OU and with the OUSA office in order to provide the very best service for marketing gifts for graduates at our Gift Shop, as well as students to join the procession of dignitaries in the ceremonies.

It's great fun and a wonderful insight as to how your own graduation might proceed!

Profits from O S L Ltd (O U S A Services Ltd) are covenanted to O U S E T which is the Open University Students Education Trust which helps students who have one-off financial difficulites for which funds are not available elsewhere.

Back

The Residential School Co-ordinator

Taking overall responsibility for O U S A's presence at the residential schools, the Co-ordinator oversees the social events and supports the Residential School Marketing Co-ordinator. Not for the faint-hearted, this post carries a great deal of responsibility but it is great fun - and hard work, but all the better because O U S E T is the main beneficiary. In London we attend only at weekends - meeting and greeting the students as they arrive on the Saturday, and we run a raffle and a quiz, as well as the marketing stall.

Back

The Residential Schools Marketing Co-ordinator

Works with the above to ensure that O U S A is promoted properly at summer schools, and deals with all aspects of the marketing.

Back

Central Consultative Committee (C C C) and the Open University in London (O U i L)

What do the O U i L and the C C C do?

The O U i L committee meets around 4 times a year and is attended by students; Associate Lecturers (ALs) and staff from the Regional Centre. It meets around 4 times a year and discusses various topics which are important to the University as a whole and those issues which affect the Region. Some examples of this are strategic development, the learning and teaching strategy, student retention, budgets and how the region can support O U S A in London.

The C C C is the body one above the O U i L which is attended by one AL and one O U S A rep from each region; the Pro-Vice Chancellor (P V C) Students (currently Will Swann); some members of both the O U and O U S A staff. The O U S A President (or one of her deputies) also attends. Again, they discuss the various papers, and concepts, which are being considered by the O U such as learning and teaching strategy, the white paper on H E (Higher Education) and so on.

Central Representatives

Central Reps offer themselves up to the Executive Committee of O U S A as volunteers to sit on the many Open University Committees and Faculty Boards. These posts can give a fascinating insight to the workings of the O U and form a vital link between O U S A and the O U. Please apply to the O U S A Office for an application form.

Back