A uniquely ‘Open’ role

Mary Keys is a Senior Manager in Access, Open and Cross-curricular Innovation and is responsible for the BA or BSc Open Degree qualification. In this post, Mary reflects on her time since starting in this role sharing some of the highlights over the last 18 months.

 

I am the Senior Manager for the Open Programme at the OU.  This was originally going to be a blog reflecting on my new job (which I started in Jan 2021!) and then it was going to be a blog reflecting back on the first 12 months of my new job.  Now, 18 months on, I am fully aware that I shouldn’t really be calling it a new job anymore!  Continue reading “A uniquely ‘Open’ role”

Notes on the OU Interdisciplinary Conference

Sarah McKernan is a Tutor Support Manager in Access, Open and Cross-curricular Innovation and supports the delivery of Access and Open Box modules.  In this post, Sarah reflects on the recent online conference on ‘The Future of Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning at the OU’ and the variety of sessions and media.

 

The Future of Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning at the OU Conference was held on Tuesday and Wednesday 21st and 22nd June and was the first conference of this scale I have attended virtually, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Continue reading “Notes on the OU Interdisciplinary Conference”

Reflecting on the Student Hub Live event #YourDegreeYourChoice

 Jay Rixon is a Senior Manager in Access, Open and Cross-curricular Innovation and responsible for the MA or MSc Open qualification. In this post, Jay reflects on a Student Hub Live (SHL) live broadcast on the 10th May entitled ‘#YourDegreeYourChoice’ and shares her highlights of the event.

 

The Open qualifications team always love a chance to collaborate with Student Hub Live (SHL) and this session was no different; one hour packed full of great conversations exploring the value of studying across subjects and how that makes you stand out in the workplace and to potential employers.  Continue reading “Reflecting on the Student Hub Live event #YourDegreeYourChoice”

Using your feedback to make a difference

Rachel Garnham is a Senior Manager leading the Student Voice team at The Open University. Her team works in partnership with the OU Students Association to include students in OU decision-making.

 

The Open University has just launched its new strategy – learn and live – at the heart of which is student success. We really want to make sure more students achieve the goals that you have set for yourself. And one of the best ways to do that is by using your feedback to improve the student experience so it meets your needs. Continue reading “Using your feedback to make a difference”

Your wellbeing on University Mental Health Day (3rd March)

Neill Boddington works for the OU as a Mental Health Advisor within the Mental Health Casework and Advisory Team and previously worked for many years in the field of resilience and stress management.

 

For this year’s University Mental Health Day, I have been reflecting on this awareness day and the wider issues around our daily wellbeing and mental health.

While days such as this help to focus people’s minds and can be the catalyst for conversation, new thinking, change and initiatives, we should also ensure we do not make ours and other people’s wellbeing a ‘hashtag’, a meme or a once-a-year consideration, because looking after our mental health really is a daily consideration.

Continue reading “Your wellbeing on University Mental Health Day (3rd March)”

The Open Programme and Employability: A Student’s Perspective

Sarah Andrews works at the University of Brighton and manages a large team of student ambassadors. She is an Open degree student.

 

 

About six years ago, on a bit of a whim, I decided to register myself to study at the Open University for an Open degree. It’s a pretty life changing decision I made relatively quickly over the course of just a couple of months, and looking back I’m not sure I knew quite what I was letting myself in for – but perhaps my tips here might encourage some other prospective students to take the plunge into the joy that is a multi-disciplinary Open degree! Continue reading “The Open Programme and Employability: A Student’s Perspective”