OUSU achievements Michaelmas 2009

OUSU Achievements Michaelmas Term 2009

Representation

• Won representation on General Purposes Committee of University Council, which has recently considered issues including the review of the Proctors Office and disciplinary procedures
• Won representation on Development Committee of University Council, which makes decisions regarding the strategic development of the University and fundraising
• Won representation on Planning and Resource Allocation Committee of University council, which makes decisions about money is spent
• Got student representatives on groups reviewing the fitness to study policy, sexual health provision, university and college complaints & appeals procedures
• Spoke up for students on areas including the development of graduation ceremonies and the government review of university funding
• Lobbied Senior Tutors on introducing better methods of academic feedback and greater access to student exam scripts
• Fed student views into both the University and the NUS's submissions to the government's review of Postgraduate Education

Common Room Support

• Organised training for common room presidents and officers on advocacy, student support, team leadership and management, and negotiation
• Held over 160 individual meetings with your Common Room presidents and officers, providing support directly for Common Rooms
• Attended over 30 Common Room meetings to explain what OUSU does and answer questions

Student Support

• Since July our Student Advice Service has helped nearly 100 students with cases ranging from appealing against exam results through to disciplinary hearings
• Organised three drinks events for mature students
• Established a support system for students with Disordered Eating and those supporting them
• Ran training for common room officers, raising awareness about disordered eating and how to support those suffering from it, as well as improving Enough! the student run self help group and expanding it to weekly sessions
• Organised a focus group for the Graduate Supervision System to improve the service for graduate students
• Assisted Brookes in improving the Safety Bus service.
• Organised training for common room officers on issues surrounded sexual and domestic abuse as well as harassment and produced a new guide to raise awareness

We worked with...

• Domestic Bursars to improve the way the university calculates costs of living
• the City Council to toughen up an accreditation scheme to clamp down on dodgy landlords
• the university on minimising the number of international students unfairly impacted by changes to visa regulations
• the police on crime prevention and student safety
• Worked with the university to provide International Students' Orientation programmes for undergraduates and postgraduates

Campaigning

• Secured funding for the launch of Springboard for Undergraduates, a personal and professional development programme for women, to be piloted in Trinity 2010
• Campaigned for the University to sign up to the 10:10 campaign, securing approval from the sustainability team and now pushing for a decision higher up the chain
• Successfully lobbied the university to take student feedback more seriously in areas such as marking criteria and opportunities to give feedback
• Campaigned for university departments to run study skills sessions and finals forums every year
• Won a pledge from Oxford MPs, Andrew Smith and Evan Harris, to vote against increased tuition fees in the next Parliament and fight for a fairer alternative
• Organised 350 Event with students and local environmental groups to draw attention to climate change with turnout from both local MPs, loads of students and locals
• Ran Gender Equality Week to raise awareness of the gender inequalities which persist in Britain today