Oral History project

In 2009 the Open University will celebrate its 40th anniversary. To celebrate this and as part of the ongoing work to capture the history of the organisation, the Open University Oral History Project has been established to conduct around 100 interviews with academic, administrative, student/alumni and regional staff from the first appointments in 1969 and the first students enrolled in 1971 onwards. Following a successful initial year, the project has been extended and is due to finish at the end of July 2010.

The oral history project will allow a personal and alternative account to be told as people’s individual life histories are woven into the life of the Open University.

The project is managed by Ruth Cammies, University Archivist and supported by Joanna Bornat, Professor of Oral History. Interviews are conducted by Dr Hilary Young, the Project Officer.

Who we would like to talk to
Were you an OU gardener, security personnel, estate manager, caterer, course material distribution person, manager, tutor counsellor, senior university staff, designer, broadcaster, administrator, careers advisor or a member of staff at a regional office?

If you were one of the first OU students who enrolled in 1971, were active in OUSA, wrote for Sesame or have at some point been an OU student we would love to hear from you. We would like to interview as many people from as diverse a sample of University roles as possible including those involved in the foundation, development, and day to day running of the University throughout its 40 year history. This will allow us to build a collection of unique stories from across the OU and ensure they are recorded for posterity. Perhaps you worked with the OU for a short period of time and went on to work elsewhere? We would like to talk to you about your experiences and memories of the OU as well.

Click here to download an information sheet about the project.

How to Contribute

If you are interested in the project, would like to be involved or can suggest someone you think would be interested in taking part please let us know.

If you would like to contribute written memories about your experiences of the Open University, please email oral-history-project@open.ac.uk

The Archive Blog

The University Archive now has a blog - University Archive News. We are be placing contributions of written memories on the blog and will add news items regarding the Oral History project. The blog can be accessed here.

Contact
Dr. Hilary Young, Oral History Project Officer
The Library and Learning Resources Centre
The Open University
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes MK7 6AA
oral-history-project@open.ac.uk
01908 332329