Transformation Plan

 

Student Advocacy:

We're improving our approach to committee representation, ensuring students always have a transparent, evidence-based voice in University decisions that affect you. Every intervention will reflect current student priorities - we'll be clear with you about what we're saying and how it will impact you. Leadership that Lasts: By offering training, policy insights, and support, we're equipping student representatives to be champions for their peers, ready to shape your experience at Oxford. We want our leaders equipped and ready to go forth and shape a better future.

Redefining Engagement:

We're reshaping how the University listens to students, working closely with departments and divisions to set the gold standard, making space for students to be active members of the wider Oxford community, designing the Oxford experience.

Liberating Diversity:

We're centering the voices of marginalised students in our work and within the University decision-making. We will amplify and protect the voices of all students, and create a truly liberated environment where all students can succeed.

Strengthening Common Rooms:

We recognise the importance and power of strong common rooms and the role they play in building a strong student voice and community at Oxford. We'll support Common Rooms in their vital roles, offering strategic support in policy, governance, and infrastructure.

 

 

• We completely redesigned our sabbatical officer training, making sure that they have the tools, knowledge and connections they need to deliver high-quality representation for students
• We've set up a Student Voice Task & Finish Group with the University to review how we do representation across the divisions. This is due to start in Hilary term and will include divisional and course representatives
• We've invested in a skilled staff coordinator to support this work, ensure Officers and other reps are properly briefed. We're designing training and toolkits for sharing.
• We've invested in developing a policy & insight function, including appointing 3 student policy associates who will be taking some of this work forward for you

Once we have the outcome of our democracy review, we'll be setting up another Task & Finish Group with the University to work out how we can bring together all of the representative structures into the SU, to create a strong union. This will include our marginalised students, as well as other existing student groups such as sports, societies and common room representatives.

 

Entering our Democratic Era:

We'll collaborate with students to design a more inclusive, accessible democratic structure that truly reflects the diversity of Oxford's student body. With you, we're going to build something that meets students where they are and fits around your priorities. You'll see more of the proposals around this in the coming weeks and have your chance to input at the All Member Meeting in week 6.

Transparency all the way:

When people understand what is happening and why, they're more likely to get involved, contribute and lead the change we need to see. We'll give as much information as we can, when we can.

Student-Led in the right way:

We're setting a new standard for what it means to be student-led, giving you autonomy and power over the things that truly impact you and your experience at Oxford.

 

• We're conducting a full review of the Union's bye-laws and approach to democratic decision-making. We've also reviewed our elections bye-laws to include a better complaints procedure, with more externality, and to ensure that our approach is inclusive, accessible democratic and fair.
• We're re-introducing a fourth Officer role for re-introduction in the Hilary Term 2025 elections
• We're removing the one year term limit for officer sabbaticals - providing more consistency and structure
• We'll also be proposing a new set of Articles which gives students more influence over the way the organisation works

 

Once the democratic review is complete, we're doing a full governance review of the organisation. A lot of this will be quite technical, but we'll be working with officer and student trustees to make sure we get the balance of being student-led right.

 

Empowering Advice & Support:

Our revamped Advice Service will provide expert guidance across all aspects of student life, from your educational experience to wellbeing, enabling students with the agency to advocate for themselves

Expanding Opportunities:

We'll continue to open doors through cross-College initiatives like RAG, campaign support, and student media - enriching the Oxford experience.

Supporting Student Endeavours:

Whether it's training, event support, or income generation, we're building a toolkit to help student groups and societies thrive

 

 

• We've reviewed all of our activity and we've taken the decision to pause or stop some things to make sure that we have capacity to do these things better. You might have noticed that we've stopped our Volunteering Portal and Target Schools. We're sorry to see those things go but we've had to make some difficult decisions
• Our Advice Service has been reviewed and we're pleased to say that we're recruiting for two new Advisers to take this work forward alongside creating some more self-service tools to help students help themselves.

 

 

• We're working with our student media outlets to review how we can better support them
• We're working with common rooms to start building our infrastructure and toolkits offering based on what students really want and need

 

 

Collaborative Success:

With a relationship agreement, joint KPIs, and an action plan, we're ensuring that we can work with the University and Colleges whilst also holding them to account

Sustainable Funding:

We're reimagining how the SU is funded, working with the University and colleges to secure a system that reflects our value and impact—ensuring we're always working in students' best interests.

 

 

• We've started drafting a relationship agreement and some joint KPIs with the University which is due to be signed off by the end of Hilary Term
• We've booked in the meetings that we need to start talking a bout how we're funded and what we need to make the SU work

 

Our relationship with the colleges and common rooms is huge part of Transformation. We've started conversations with heads of colleges about what an excellent students' union looks like to them, but we know that there is a lot of work to do here.

People & Culture: A fresh approach to culture and leadership will help us attract and retain the best talent. We'll build a strong, adaptable plan and foster collaboration between staff, officers, and students.

Our progress so far:

• We've refreshed the training programme for our staff team, reintroducing mandatory training in key areas such as EDI and data protection
• We've reviewed our staffing structure, making sure that during Transformation we're able to deliver the necessary and essential activities we've identified

What's next:

• Our whole approach is being reviewed – we're looking at our benefits structure, learning & development and every aspect of how we become a high-performing organisation in a sustainable way

Alumni Network: Our alumni will become a key part of our success story, offering support, skills, and insights to propel us forward.

Our progress so far:

• We've made contact with Officers from the last 15 years of Oxford SU and they have contributed to the development of this plan

What's next:

• We're talking to key players, offering them opportunities to get more involved and support our students and reps

Communication & Engagement: Our new strategy will make sure students are in the loop, with a visible presence online and across the collegiate university—keeping our mission front and centre.

Our progress so far:

• We're completely redesigned how we talk to students – we're posting regularly about the work that your officers are doing, making clear when and how you can get involved

What's next:

• We know that colleges and common rooms are the key to engaging students where you are. But first, we know that we need to rebuild trust and confidence in the SU, making sure that what we're talking about it what you care about.

Financial Resilience: We'll diversify our income streams to create a strong, sustainable funding base, so we can continue to deliver vital services to students.

Our Progress so far:

• We've delivered a great Fresher's Fair, and we're asking students for your thoughts on what went well and what could be improved as well as looking at how the SU can generate increased income and be less reliant on university funding

 

What's Next:

• We're looking at our options for better use of space across the university and colleges to deliver income generation opportunities that also add to the student experience
• As part of the governance review, we'll be looking at how we ensure that our income generation is ethical and in line with your values whilst also making sure that we can make the money that we need to deliver the services that students want and deserve

 

A massive part of Transformation is being transparent about what we're doing and the impact of our work. Ultimately, the true measure of our success is how well we serve our students. But we're not just relying on feedback—we're setting clear, tangible goals to track our progress and ensure we're moving in the right direction.

Our KPIs (so far):

• We will increase our NSS score from 41% satisfaction with the SU to 51%
• By the end of year 1 we will be able to demonstrate 26,000 interactions with students
• By the end of the Transformation Plan, we'll be able to demonstrate the 65% of our student and staff stakeholders agree that the SU has a positive impact