Exhibition: The OU Story

Expansion of the OU continued into the 1990s. In 1990 the OU celebrated its 100,000th graduate - and by 1998 it was celebrating it's 200,000th graduate. By 2000 the student body was 190,000 strong.

Through the Royal Charter, The Open University is able to validate the programmes of institutions that do not have their own degree awarding powers, or that wish to offer OU awards. In 1992 Open University Validation Services (OUVS) was established to take on the role of the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) which had been abolished. The service is now called OU Validation Partnerships.

Computing technologies continued to rapidly develop into the 1990s. The first clip on this page includes the introduction to an episode of Open Forum in 1993 which included a user friendly guide to computing.

Overseas expansion also continued into the 90s and beyond. With European integration and the creation of the European Union in 1992, OU programmes began to be offered throughout Western Europe for the first time and attracted several thousand students. In 1993 the OU held its first degree ceremony outside of Britain and Ireland - in Brussels, where the OU opened an office the following year.

The curriculum also continued to expand, with new areas of study including English Law (in association with the College of Law), Modern Languages and expanded programmes in most other faculties and schools. The University offered a new PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) from 1994.

1994 saw the 25th anniversary of the creation of the University. This year also saw Baroness Betty Boothroyd, Speaker of the House of Commons, announced as the next Chancellor of The Open University, following Asa Briggs. In the second clip on this page Baroness Boothroyd talks about being Chancellor of the University. Visit the Baroness Boothroyd online exhibition to learn more about her role and connection with the OU.