Woman Student
RUSU defines a woman as anyone who self-defines as a woman, including (if they wish) those with gender identities which include ‘woman’, and those who experience oppression as a woman.
BAME Student
RUSU defines a BAME student as anyone who self-defines as Black, Asian or any other minority ethnic group this can include but is not limited to African, Middle Eastern, Caribbean or Asian descent; and/or descended from the indigenous populations of the Americas and/or the South Pacific.
Disabled Student
RUSU defines a disabled student as anyone who self-defines as disabled; they may be affected by a condition, which has a substantial long-term impact on their ability to carry out day-to-day activities. This definition encompasses hidden and physical impairments, and mental health issues.
LGBQ+ Student
RUSU uses the acronym LGBQ+ to define people who self-define as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer or questioning or within any other sexual minority or gender identity.
Trans Man Student
RUSU defines a trans man as someone who has been assigned female at birth but identifies and lives as a man.
Trans Woman Student
RUSU defines as trans woman as someone who has been assigned male at birth but identifies and lives as a woman.
Trans Student Experiencing Transmisogyny
RUSU defines a student experiencing transmisogyny as someone who experiences a negative attitude, hate, discrimination of transgender people who fall on the feminine side of the gender spectrum.
Non-Binary Student
RUSU defines a non-binary student as someone who’s gender identity is not simply male or female. Other terms which may be used can include people who identify as genderqueer, gender fluid, agender, bigender and more. These terms do not all mean the same thing but all help describe the experience of people who do not identify as simply male or female.
International Student
RUSU defines an international student as anyone who self-defines has having an international background, whether that means anyone who comes to the UK to study or who have lived in two or more cultural environments. This includes students from both within and outside the European Union (EU) and those who pay both home and international fees.
Mature Student
RUSU defines a mature student as anyone who was aged 21 or over on the date they started their undergraduate course and anyone who was aged 25 or over on the date they started their postgraduate course.
This includes undergraduate students who self-define as having been financially independent for three years prior to the start date of their undergraduate course, students with care-giving responsibilities and student who are care leavers, as mature students.
Postgraduate Research Student
RUSU defines a postgraduate research student as a student on a postgraduate research mode of study or who is in the writing up stage of their postgraduate research.
Postgraduate Taught Student
RUSU defines a postgraduate taught student as a student on a postgraduate taught mode of study.