Open University

"The Open University has an astonishing track-record of using of new and emerging technologies to make higher education available to all people around the world."

Martha Lane Fox, Chancellor of The Open University

The Open University’s mission is to be open to people, places, methods and ideas.

We promote educational opportunity and social justice by providing high-quality university education to all who wish to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential.

Through academic research, pedagogic innovation and collaborative partnership we seek to be a world leader in the design, content and delivery of supported open learning.

"There is no typical OU student. People of all ages and backgrounds study with us, for all sorts of reasons – to update their skills, get a qualification, boost their career, change direction, prove themselves, keep mentally active. The OU is open to them all."

The Open University's Former Vice-Chancellor, Martin Bean

How We Deliver Our Mission

The Open University’s Students First strategy for growth is the means by which we will continue transforming lives through education, building on our success and delivering our mission in a changing world.

Open to All

Most of our undergraduate courses have no formal entry requirements. We believe that the qualifications our students have when they leave are the only ones that matter.

We are committed to promoting equal opportunities for all, and close monitoring makes sure that we live up to our ideals.

Supporting Students with Disabilities

The OU has more disabled students than any other university in Europe. The flexible nature of OU study and our experience in harnessing enabling technologies to support learning means over 20,000 people with a wide range of disabilities – including mental health issues – choose to study with us each year.

Widening Access in Education

We work in partnership with national and local organisations to open up higher education to underrepresented groups, reaching out to potential students in their communities – and ensuring that, once on board, these students receive the support they need to succeed in their studies.

Our Access modules are designed to help people find out what it’s like to study with the OU, build study skills and gain confidence.

Open Access to Learning Materials

Every day, millions of people access free OU content, no matter where they live in the world. All they need is an internet connection:

• OpenLearn -- Free OU course materials and other educational resources, delivered through a multi-award-winning website. Visitors don’t need to register as students.
• YouTube -- Over 800 videos including clips about student life, current research and extracts from OU broadcasts and teaching materials.
• iTunes U -- A huge range of podcasts to listen to on the move. In April 2012 we became the first university in Europe to reach more than 1 million subscriptions.
• Open Research Online -- One of the largest university research collections in the UK, with more than 15,000 research publications available online.

Student Charter

The Open University is more than just a place of learning - it is a community. The OU student charter, developed jointly by the University and the OU Students Association, sets out our responsibilities to one another as members of the OU community.

International Development

The Open University has been committed to international development for over 20 years. We deliver flexible, adaptable and scalable programmes in partnership with governments, NGOs, funding institutions and local partners – addressing areas such as frontline health, teacher education and English language teaching. Our work ranges from vital skills training for frontline healthcare workers across sub-Saharan Africa, to projects designed to transform English language education in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Supported Open Learning

The OU teaches through its own unique method of distance learning, called ‘supported open learning’, which is:

• Flexible – students work where and when they choose to fit in with jobs, families and other commitments
• All-inclusive – students get all the high quality materials they need to study
• Supportive – personal tutors provide academic expertise, guidance and feedback and run group tutorials; and specialist advisers are on hand to help with other aspects of OU study
• Social – students get together at tutorials, day schools and informal study groups; and through online conferencing, study networks and course forums.

The Open University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education which is a voluntary, non-governmental, membership association that defines, maintains, and promotes educational excellence across institutions with diverse missions, student populations, and resources. The Open University has been a member since 2005 and its accreditation was re-affirmed in November 2015.

QAA - UK Quality Assured

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has judged that The Open University’s academic standards, the quality and enhancement of its student learning opportunities, and the quality of information about its learning opportunities all meet UK expectations.

Course Production

Our modules are developed by multi-disciplinary course teams comprising:

• Academics, educational technologists and media specialists contributing pedagogic and technical expertise
• Respected academics from other universities working alongside OU colleagues
• External examiners.

This model has helped to build the University's reputation for innovation, rigour and quality and has been adopted by distance teaching institutions worldwide.

Research and Scholarship

Open University courses are underpinned by research of international excellence and are subject to rigorous external scrutiny. In addition, a world-leading programme of research into teaching strategies and educational technologies ensures that our materials are effective and appropriate for large-scale open learning.

Tutorial Support

The OU has a network of more than 5,000 tutors – the largest in the UK. Tutors mark assignments, provide detailed written feedback, and offer support to students by telephone, email, or computer conferencing. They also run group or online tutorials and day schools. Some are full-time members of staff, but most are associate lecturers: experts in their subject who combine their work as tutors with other academic or industry jobs.

Assessment

Students are assessed through tutor-marked and computer-marked assignments, oral or practical assessments, projects, examinations, dissertations and portfolios. External examining ensures that we maintain academic standards and provides an independent view of the assessment process.

Quality Assurance

Arrangements for assuring quality of academic provision, standards of awards and quality of student learning experience are outlined in a our quality and standards fact sheets.

Research Underpins Our Courses

Research and scholarship always informs course development at the OU. Nearly three quarters (72%) of Open University research was assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent in the UK Research Excellence Framework 2014.