Trigger Warning: this article contains references to racism, sexism, and homophobia.
Reports of discrimination made to The University of Manchester have increased by 317% in the last five academic years, according to a Freedom of Information request submitted by The Mancunion.
In the 2024-25 academic year, 242 reports of discrimination were submitted, up from 58 in 2020-21. Racism was the largest contributing factor, with 142 reports. This data does not include reports of antisemitism, which was previously covered by The Mancunion this year. Antisemitism reports also rose sharply, from 5 to 36 between 2022–23 and 2023–24.
Students can submit incidents via the University’s online system ‘Report and Support’. The tool is for reporting any incidents affecting the university community that took place either on or off campus. The data includes reports in which racism, sexism, or homophobia were indicated as a suspected or contributing factor to experiencing discrimination by the person reporting.
But for a 50,000 strong student body, 242 cases in the 2024-25 academic year seems fairly low. How can the reporting numbers be explained?
Explaining the low numbers
Speaking to Sharon Mary Dominic Raj, this year’s Wellbeing & Liberation Officer at the Students’ Union, she pointed towards the fact that students might “just not care about reporting.”
According to her, many see discrimination as an everyday, almost normalised part of their lives. “People that usually get discriminated against, they have lived with it their whole life to a point they just accept what’s happening to them.” Students are juggling academics, a social life, extracurricular activities — reporting feels like extra labour.
Society leaders agreed. Thandi, president of Black Girl’s Space Manchester, stressed that strudents often dismiss micro-aggressions as too minor to report. Robyn, Co-Chair of UoM’s Feminist Collective, added that for many, discrimination is “just something that a lot of people have to live with.” It is clear that known patterns of discrimination are going unreported.
Although reports have risen, interpretations vary. Robyn linked the trend to “the rise of right-wing rhetoric and anti-immigration protests,” while Thandi saw it as evidence of “a growing culture of being able to speak out.”
Issues with the ‘Report and Support’ process were acknowledged. Thandi stressed that the system might unintentionally be discouraging: “If they don’t receive the result they want, that also minimises their experience.” To report a member of the university community, individuals must submit a statement and any evidence to a Caseworker. However, this does not initiate a formal disciplinary process. This can leave some feeling dissatisfied, which may in turn make the system appear bureaucratic and confusing.
One of the outcomes of the process is a referral of the case to the University’s Conduct and Discipline team, of which there have been 21 referrals in the last five academic years. For a referral, these cases would need to have included a potential breach of discrimination, bullying, harassment, and/or victimisation of any student, member of staff or visitor to the University.
Despite perceived problems, the online form has gone through numerous changes following feedback from, and reviewing the needs of, those who report. For instance, in 2024 the contributing factors section was introduced. Before this, the reporter could provide some suspected factors but it was not mandatory.
The society leaders interviewed alluded to the fact that a fractured campus community can heighten discrimination, and therefore reduce rates of reporting. Thandi from Black Girls’ Space noted that “a lot of people don’t feel like some of the university societies are accessible.” The society exists for this very reason, bringing Black women together in “unity, fostering community and supporting personal and professional development.”
Although the University has 687 clubs and societies which provide meaningful support and a sense of community, these spaces should not operate as unofficial first responders to students who have experienced discrimination. Mandatory signposting training for society committees, Thandi suggested, could help ensure students reach appropriate services.
A communication gap?
Poor visibility of the service was highlighted too. In fact, Sharon noted that: “When I was a student, I didn’t know that a ‘Report and Support’ service existed…I felt threatened but I didn’t know who I should go and report to.”
UoM’s Feminist Collective’s Robyn also acknowledged that when reporting micro-aggressions or discrimination, there is a “lack of awareness or availability in terms of university services”, which serves as a “huge obstacle for people trying to report instances of exclusion.”
Sharon said that many students have explicitly told her the service “is not good,” and calls to ‘Report and Support’ to market themselves better. “Report and Support is not improving themselves…they should brand themselves forward and say that we are this service…communication is the gap.”
She also stressed more generally that the support systems in place are not designed for the people who need to access them, pointing towards PGT (one-year master’s students) as an example. The majority are international students, and their short time at the University makes reporting seem pointless. “Do you think they would go an extra mile to report… because at the end of the process they would already be graduated? They won’t.” Robyn had a similar point, noting that “even harder for international students to find resources” since their first language is often not English.
Potential solutions
Could a solution to reducing reports of discrimination be found in more inclusive teaching environments? Sharon highlighted that “Staff don’t know how to actually be inclusive in their own modules…that actually creates discrimination.” Improving students’ experience within classroom environments could be a way of creating a greater sense of belonging and community.
The University has a diverse student body, hosting one of the largest international student populations in the UK. For Robyn, the emphasis should be placed on “educating the faculty and fellow students about how to tackle systematic racism and identify discrimination better within the system.”
However, it is important to recognise the solution is not exclusive to improving the reporting process or just The University of Manchester. Similar concerns about ‘Report and Support’ services are not unique to Manchester. In January, The Cheese Grater reported that failures within UCL’s ‘Report and Support’ system had exacerbated the mental health of a student who sought help, according to the higher education complaints body.
The University of Warwick has seen comparable trends. In December 2024, The Boar reported that the number of disclosures made to Warwick’s ‘Report and Support’ service in the 2023–24 academic year had risen for the third consecutive year.
On a national scale, just 13.2% of undergraduate respondents to the National Student Survey (NSS) that experienced harassment in the past year made formal reports to their institutions. Similarly, 12.7% of those subjected to sexual violence reported incidents.
Regardless of the wider picture, the SU’s Wellbeing and Liberation Officer didn’t believe that reporting would make a difference to experiences of discrimination. “They have the mindset of: what would happen if I’m going to report? Is anything going to change?” Yet, Thandi stressed the importance of giving students space to talk: even if nothing formal results, “at least they’ve had the chance to speak about the situation.”
Despite the low reporting numbers, it is clear that the University community has experienced higher rates of discrimination. This disparity stems from a lack of awareness of ‘Report and Support’, and its perceived complexity. The university needs to advocate for its diverse student community by creating a system better designed for the students who need it most. In the climate of general rising reports of discrimination in the UK, it is important that university is a safe place where all students feel protected, and advocated for.
In response, Sarah Fox, the University’s Executive Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion said:
“Many instances of discrimination both on and off campus remain unreported, and it is an ongoing challenge to raise awareness among students of reporting routes such as our Report and Support service. While there was a rise in the percentage of student reports relating to discrimination between 2020/21 (26%) and 2024/25 (31%) made during those periods – some or all of which may be down to an increased awareness of our reporting routes – we do not shy away from the fact that the number of students reporting instances of discrimination has grown.”
“We are committed to tackling unacceptable behaviour across the University. We actively work with the Students’ Union on issues of student experience, and we welcome feedback about our services. We acknowledge that some students may feel the outcomes of individual reports are not what they desired, but we are committed to being as transparent as possible about how we arrive at our decisions.”
A Students’ Union spokesperson said:
“We know that the culture within societies can vary, and we’ve been working with students, the University’s Inclusion Team and UoM Sport to support more inclusive and accessible practices across all groups. Recent training has focused on issues like drinking culture, accessibility and belonging, and this will continue to grow.
We’ve also strengthened signposting so students know how to access support when they need it. Our new ‘Worried About Someone?’ resource brings together Report & Support, SU safeguarding routes and other advice services in one place to make things clearer for everyone.
There is more to do, and we’re committed to working with students and the University to ensure societies feel welcoming and inclusive, while making sure the right support sits with the right parts of the institution”
If you have been affected by any of issues raised in this article you can find support here:
- Report and Support
- Manchester City Council & Greater Manchester Police - Report hate crimes based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity
- Stop Hate UK – independent, confidential and accessible reporting and support for victims, witnesses and third parties
- True Vision – guidance on reporting hate crime and hate incidents
- Galop – National LGBT+ anti-abuse charity supporting those affected by hate crime, sexual violence, or domestic abuse
- Tell MAMA – supports victims of anti-Muslim hate and is a public service which also measures and monitors anti-Muslim incidents
- On Your Side – UK-wide support and reporting system for ESEA communities who experience racism and/or other forms of hate
