This blog post was written by Mia Clement, the VP Activities and Community for 2023/24 at Oxford SU.
The Oxford University Student Union (SU) represents the student body of the University of
Oxford.
The Oxford SU serves as the primary representative body for all students (undergraduate
and postgraduate) studying at the University of Oxford. Its main purpose is to advocate for students’ rights, provide support and welfare services, organise campaigns, represent
students on university and collective college committees, and organise events!
Oxford SU believes that the University of Oxford must lead the way in creating an
environment where current and future students are governed by fairness and everyone has an equal opportunity to flourish in their pursuit of education. We believe that education is the foundation for the future. The better the education, the better the future for all of us.
Some key aspects that distinguish Oxford SU from other university student unions include:
● Collegiate system: the University of Oxford is renowned for its collegiate system,
where students belong to individual colleges within the larger university. Each
college usually has its own student body (a Junior Common Room or Graduate
Common Room), but the Oxford SU represents the collective interests of students
across the entire university and colleges.
● Autonomy: the Oxford SU operates with a relatively high level of autonomy, holding
Student Council 1 and RepComs 2 for elected positions in college student bodies.
It has its own elected officers (Sabbatical Officers), allowing it to address the
specific concerns and needs of Oxford students.
● Influence: Oxford is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities globally,
and its student union often holds significant influence within the university
administration and even beyond. The SU’s actions and stances can garner
substantial attention.
● Complex governance: given the decentralised collegiate structure of the university,
the Oxford SU navigates a complex governance system that involves interactions
with both individual college student bodies and the central university
administration.
● Engagement: The Oxford SU often engages in discussions about the University’s
policies, course structures, rent negotiation, sustainability, and other university
matters, representing the student perspective in shaping the Oxford experience.
● Campaigns: the Oxford SU holds eight campaigns advocating on various social
issues, including the Campaign for Racial Awareness and Equality, Class Act,
Disabilities Campaign, International Students, It Happens Here, LGBTQ+
Campaign, Suspended Students, and Women's Campaign.
Sabbatical Officers:
Sabbatical Offices are elected by the student body to represent their interests and run the
SU’s day-to-day operations and wider strategy while working on their own projects stated in their manifestos.
The Officers take a year out of their studies or start at the end of their studies to fulfil their roles.
The roles for 2023-2024 are:
● President: The President is the glue across Sabbatical Officers and the University.
Often, this means being the ultimate representative of the Union, responsible for
the whole Union, its Constituent parts, and its activities and governance.
Our current President, Danial Hussain, ran on a campaign of "an Oxford that works for
everyone", pledging to reduce college disparities and make the SU more transparent and
efficient. He wants to create an ‘Access Norrington Table’, which will reflect colleges’
private/state school divide, lobby for a reading week, and provide SU buses for club nights.
Get in touch: [email protected]
● Vice President Activities & Community: involved in University and city-wide
community work, acting as a student voice, campaigning and lobbying on
environmental and sustainability issues whilst also supporting SU campaigns,
fundraising for SU-nominated charities, and growing student engagement.
Mia, the current VP Community, has a focus on implementing university-wide climate
education, divestment of college green spaces, creating a Town and Gown event series for
students and city residents to engage in university research and debates, as well as
supporting an array of environmental and community action campaigns.
Get in touch: [email protected]
● Vice President for Liberation and Equality: represents students from minority
backgrounds, leads on policy-making and lobbying on issues of inequality, and
carries significant responsibility in shaping the welfare and equal opportunities
policies for the student body.
Our VP of Liberation and Equality, Kennedy, is focused on asking questions and building a
collective critical praxis rooted In hope and action to empower students towards building an
inclusive community.
Get in touch: [email protected]
● Vice President, Postgraduate Education and Access: acts as a point of contact for
graduate students. This includes working with university departments and faculty to
address issues related to the quality of teaching, resources, and support available
to postgraduate students.
Nick firmly believes in and has pledged to create and build the Oxford Graduate Student
Union.
Get in touch: [email protected]
● Vice-President Undergraduate Education and Access: Much like VP Postgraduate,
VP Undergraduate is the representative for undergraduate students on matters of
education policy changes and measures, in addition to increasing accessibility
across the university.
Jenni believes that improving Access at Oxford is not just about lobbying for policy change to improve admission statistics and attainment gaps; it is about ensuring that students feel like they belong here and, most importantly, that they can thrive by improving support beyond admission and providing academic skills workshops.
Get in touch: [email protected]
● Vice President Welfare: works to address issues related to student well-being and
mental health, advocating for better support services and resources for students
facing welfare challenges. They lead or support various welfare campaigns and
initiatives aimed at improving the overall welfare of students, raising awareness
about important issues, and promoting a positive and inclusive campus culture.
Rosalie wants to ensure every student has access to an education free from sexual violence, abuse, or poor mental health and plans to incorporate extensive welfare plans across JCRs, liberation campaigns, and Oxford student societies that are adaptive, intersectional, and
engaging.
Get in touch: [email protected]
All five Sabbatical Officers are automatically Trustees of the Students’ Association, meaning
you are part of the wider Trustee Board, along with four additional student Trustees and
three externally appointed Trustees, which has collective responsibility for the strategic
direction, legal compliance, and financial health of the SU.
Any of the Sabbs are open to students and prospective students reaching out with ideas,
questions, or concerns!
Campaigns:
● Campaign for Racial Awareness and Equality (CRAE)
As one of the permanent campaigns at the Oxford SU, the Campaign for Racial Awareness
and Equality is dedicated to all BAME students at the University of Oxford. CRAE aims to
represent, support, and advocate for students of colour while creating an inclusive and
diverse university.
● Class Act
Class Act is intended to support, represent, and campaign on behalf of students from
working-class, low-income, first-generation, and state comprehensive school backgrounds,
as well as care leavers and estranged students.
● Disabilities Campaign
The Disabilities Campaign is a place for support, and everyone is welcome. The campaign's
core aims are to campaign for better understanding and treatment of disabilities, support and advocate for disabled students at Oxford, and bring together disabled students for social events and solidarity.
● International Students
The campaign is there to help international students have the best experience possible while studying. This includes helping solve problems, find resources, build awareness, grow communities, and work towards the goals of the international student. Contests, mixers, lectures, and socials are some of the events we deliver.
● It Happens Here
It Happens Here is an anti-sexual violence campaign led by Oxford University students.
Their mission is to prevent, protect, and empower students.
● LGBTQ+ campaign
The Oxford SU LGBTQ+ Campaign is a group of students working to improve the lives of
LGBTQ+ people at the University of Oxford and in the wider Oxford community. They
advocate for LGBTQ+ students and staff, push for changes at the university, faculty, and
college levels, and are committed to fighting homophobia, transphobia, and any other form of discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ people in Oxford.
● Suspended Students
Lobby for University policy changes to improve the process of suspension and equip
students to campaign for change in their college. SusCam also organises and provides a
supportive social network for suspended students and students considering or returning from suspension.
● Women*s Campaign
Wom*Cam (or Women's Campaign) is an intersectional campaign that works for feminist
justice through protest, discussion groups, and social events. They aim to create a safe and welcoming activist space for women and non-binary students and encourage all interested parties to join us at our events and on our committee.