Oxford University Student Union

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Oxford University Student Union

• Jamie Frew
• Vice-President (Welfare and Equal Opportunities)

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We are not the Oxford Union!
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What is OUSU?

• OUSU is the Student Union for Oxford students,
  existing to represent some 17,000 of you on the
  issues that matter to you and to provide the
  services that you want as students.
• The work of OUSU can probably be best introduced
  by looking at the officers we have and what areas
  of responsibility they carry.

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OUSU Sabbaticals

• President - Alan Strickland
• OUSUs figurehead, setting the overall direction
  of our campaigning and acting as our liaison with
  Common Rooms and other Student Unions.

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OUSU Sabbaticals

• Finance - Ed Mayne
• Responsible for making money for OUSU through
  OSSL and controlling our spending of it
• Welfare Equal Opportunities Jamie Frew
• Heads up the Student Advice Service and so is
  available for any student who wishes to talk
  about anything. Also supports Welfare provision
  in Common Rooms.

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OUSU Sabbaticals

• Women Jenny Hoogewerf
• Only 41 of you are women and women are
  under-represented at all levels in the
  university. Ellies job is partly dealing with
  any female specific welfare issues and
  campaigning to change the culture.
• Access Academic Affairs Helen Bagshaw
• Responsible for dealing with students academic
  problems and for helping to shape the
  Universitys policies on course structure and the
  like.

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OUSU Sabbaticals

• Charities Community Imran Khan
• Co-ordinates RAG (Raise And Give) and connects
  students with charitable stuff going on in Oxford
  and further afield.
• Graduates
• Andrea Miller
• Mirrors Presidents work in liaising with MCRs.
  Also responsible for co-ordinating international
  student provision

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Any clearer?

• So these 7 officers are the ones who principally
  carry out the functions of OUSU.
• But before I can explain the functions we need a
  little reminder of the structure of the
  University.

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OUSUs functions

• OUSU is an association of the generality of
  Oxford students and a confederation of the Common
  Rooms.
• So we generally do things on two levels
• Dealing with students as students
• Supporting the Common Rooms

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1. Representation

• of students
• OUSU Council
• Any student can attend, speak and propose motions
• JCR presidents, OUSU Reps and delegates can vote
• International Students Committee

• to the University.
• Sabbatical committee positions
• E.g. University Council, EPSC, Conference of
  Colleges.
• Student committee positions
• E.g. Careers service, Language service,
  Divisional board

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2. Support and Advice

• to students
• Student Advice Service
• Jamie, Jenny, Helen and Andrea
• A free, confidential and impartial listening and
  advice service
• Welfare Handbook

• to Common Rooms
• Training for Welfare and academic officers
• Information about resources available in Oxford

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3. Services and Publications

• Services
• Zoo club nights
• Parkend, Escape, Ponana, Thirst, G-bar,
• Freshers Fair
• 4th-6th October
• Student societies try to sell themselves

• Publications
• Oxford Student Newspaper
• Editorially independent
• Nominated repeatedly for Guardian Student
  Newspaper of the Year since 2001
• Europes largest student handbook publishers
• Freshers Guides, Alternative Prospectus, LGBT,
  Living Out, Oxford Handbook, Target Schools,
  Anti-racism, Women, Careers.

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4. Campaigning

• Internal
• Lobbying university and colleges over
• Fair rents
• Disabled access
• Services provision
• Library opening hours
• Educating students on
• Queer rights
• Gender inequality
• Anti-racism
• And many, many more

• External
• Lobbying the government over
• Tuition fees
• Visa extension
• Immigration
• Banking
• Defending Oxfords reputation in the press
  widening access.

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Want to get involved?

• Student Newspapers
• Editors_at_
• oxfordstudent.com
• Editor_at_cherwell.org
• Oxford Student Radio
• tim.partridge_at_
• wadh.ox.ac.uk
• Campaigns
• president_at_ousu.org

• Zoo
• Entz_at_ousu.org
• OUSU Exec or Council
• President_at_ousu.org
• University Committees
• graduates_at_ousu.org
• Everything
• www.ousu.org

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Any questions?