Oxford SU launches new Strategic Plan for 2026/29

Oxford SU has launched its new Strategic Plan for 2026/29, setting out a clear direction for how we will represent, support and empower students over the next three years.

The strategy follows a period of organisational transformation and more than 18 months of student engagement, consultation and analysis. It reflects what students have told us about their experiences at Oxford and focuses our resources on the areas where Oxford SU can have the greatest impact.

Our mission is clear: to empower students to shape their education, wellbeing and community, and to represent them effectively at every level of the collegiate University.

Five strategic themes

The plan is structured around five priorities:

Student Voice
We will strengthen student representation across the University, ensuring students’ views are heard and acted upon. This includes better coordination of academic representation, stronger systems for gathering student insight, and improved training and recognition for student representatives.

Welfare
We will work to ensure students can access clear, independent and effective support. Alongside expanding Oxford SU’s Advice service to include housing advice, we will work with partners across the collegiate University on issues including mental health, student safety and access to welfare provision.

Community
We will help build stronger connections across Oxford’s colleges and student communities. We will support representatives, societies, sports clubs and other student groups to contribute to SU democracy and policy, while continuing to provide opportunities such as Freshers’ Fair that help students find communities and a sense of belonging.

Equity of Experience
We will work to identify and address disparities in the student experience so that background, identity or circumstance do not create barriers to participation. This will include contributing to University access and participation work and undertaking student-led reviews of provision across the collegiate University.

Common Room Support
JCRs and MCRs are fundamental to student representation and community at Oxford. We will provide Common Room leaders with stronger training, resources, guidance and representative support, helping reduce the administrative burden on student volunteers and enabling them to focus on their members.

Delivering measurable impact

The strategy is designed to translate these priorities into tangible outcomes. We will assess our progress through evidence of change, student feedback, insight from our Advice service, engagement and perception surveys, and evidence that students’ concerns are reaching decision-makers and influencing outcomes.

Underpinning this work are strong governance, financial sustainability, an effective people and culture strategy, and clearer communications about what Oxford SU is doing and the impact it delivers.

The launch of the Strategic Plan marks the next stage in Oxford SU’s development, building on our transformation work to create a stronger, more effective and more representative Students’ Union.

Read the full Strategic Plan and find out what we’re working towards.