Seminar on regional activities in England

Although of not direct relevance to overseas students a recent seminar http://stadium.open.ac.uk/stadia/preview.php?s=31&whichevent=1321 (only available within the OU) on the above is noteworthy because it:

• confirmed the appeal within some areas of OU opinion for a global international strategy
• did not go into detail on the possible situation for Continental European students
• confirmed the importance of 'enterprise' and partnerships with local businesses (possibly seeing them as income generators separate from government), using examples in Finland and the Netherlands as possible models.
• (personal view) demonstrated the need for OUSA to review its role in this type of exercise (ie amount of representation, how OUSA reps feedback to students)

The seminar was very much an internal brainstorming session, so what actually happens next may well be different to anything suggested by the points I've highlighted above.

Dearing report

Was interested in the Dearing report http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/ncihe/- really out of date - but good appendices on the higher education system in Europe. I thought the then Dutch model of having a third of each University Committee comprising student members was good. The OU though would have to have online meetings, something that so far it has not managed to do.

OUSA Futures

OUSA Futures is a consultation exercise. So far the following items of possible interest have come up.

- structure of OUSA (various options: looks though as if there will be changes aimed at slimming down the Executive Committee)

- role and manner of representing students on OU bodies (various concerns expressed from the OU: also suggestions made such as getting the OU to move towards online meetings)