Graduate Support at OUSU

OUSU works closely with and for graduate students in all areas of our work – graduates make up a large proportion of the students active in our autonomous campaigns, such as the Campaign for Racial Awareness and Equality, for example, and a higher number of graduates than undergraduates take advantage of the Student advice Service. 

Graduates do tend to be less involved in the policy-making aspects of OUSU, however, meaning the work we do on graduate issues may not be as well recognised or understood.  To counteract this, we have a number of members of the elected executive who are dedicated to graduate issues. 

The Vice-President for Graduates is a full-time officer elected by graduate students for one year.   The role involves:

•  defending graduate interests on over twenty committees across the collegiate university, including Education Committee where most education-related decisions are made, and University Council, the University’s highest decision-making body;
•  working as part of the Student Advice Service, providing expertise on graduate academic issues;
• working with MCR Presidents’ Committee - sharing information and providing support to Presidents and other MCR committee members;
• consulting with students on issues that affect graduates directly;
• organising Postgraduate Assembly, a policy making body at which all graduates can vote, held once a term; 
• representing international students and mature students and supporting the work of the autonomous campaigns for each group of students.

There are also four part-time graduate officers, who are members of the OUSU executive – they work with the Vice-President for graduates to campaign on issues affecting graduates:

• Graduate Academic Affairs gradacaff@ousu.org
• Graduate Welfare gradwelfare@ousu.org
• Graduate Women gradwomen@ousu.org
• Graduate International Students gradinternationalstudents@ousu.org