Investigations Archive

Dirty underwear, a broken boiler and £400 in cleaning fees: a laundry list of problems with Thornley Groves
From holes in the roof to melting oven trays, students tell us about their experience renting with Thornley Groves Fallowfield and how it’s impacted their wellbeing

What have your SU execs been up to this year?
The Mancunion investigates whether each member of the 2022/23 Exec Team has fulfilled the promises in their manifesto, whilst looking into the structure of democracy at our SU more widely

350 or 44: How many students are engaging in the rent strike?
UoM Rent Strike predict up to 350 students are engaging in organised action, whilst the University ‘anecdotally’ advise only 44 student have contact with Credit Control

Students still being fined for drug possession one year after UoM announces harm reduction approach
Over a year after the University of Manchester announced a shift from zero tolerance to harm reduction £3,300 has been collected in drug possession fines

Ghosts of Fallowfield past: Why is the Owen’s Park Tower still standing?
The Mancunion has discovered there are currently no plans for Owens Park accommodation despite having stood empty since 2019

No mandatory consent module for UoM students
As Reclaim the Night comes into students’ focus, The Mancunion investigates the limited consent education offered to students and the current improvements being made

Drug testing crisis: Only 250 kits for 40,000 students
Unadvertised and unavailable: drug testing kits for students still not readily accessible

Saving Private Students: What is life like in university-leased private halls?
Students placed in private halls as students seeking university accommodation soars.

Money on our minds: Students set to lose money amidst cost of living crisis
The Mancunion’s projections show some student maintenance loans will lose around £450 in value in the coming academic year

“Burnt out before you’re qualified”: Life as a nursing student
Nursing students are still relying on food banks three years after The Mancunion last investigated
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“A nightmare and total faff”: The inconsistencies in our local contraception services
The Mancunion reveals the complications many patients have struggled with when attempting to get contraception from their GP in Fallowfield. Students spoke of the inconsistent and unhelpful contraceptive and sexual health services in Manchester.

Turning the heat up on gender politics: Is the Main Library too cold for female students?
A ‘chilling’ discovery finds that the University of Manchester sets the libraries’ thermostats to 19c-21c, despite the preferred workplace temperature being 24 degrees Celsius for women and 22 degrees Celsius for men.

“P*ssed off”: International students’ anger at UoM travel guidance
International students are left disappointed by the University’s response to the growing Covid-19 cases
Students say no to zero tolerance
A Mancunion Investigation has raised questions over the effectiveness of the University of Manchester’s zero tolerance drug policy

Are you G-A-Y enough?
A Mancunion investigation has revealed that G-A-Y’s bouncers are allegedly judging clubbers on whether they are ‘gay enough’ to enter the club

Mental Health Counselling Crisis: Just 12 counsellors for 2826 students
Over 1000 students have newly disclosed mental health problems this year, but UoM has just 12 counsellors

UoM staff expenses plummet during pandemic
Restaurant and bar spending via University of Manchester staff purchasing cards totalled just £150 in December 2020, compared to £22,000 in December 2019.

“Environmentally conscious” UoM spent £250,000 on Amazon in 2020
Investigation reveals that 1 in 10 University expenses purchases were with Amazon in 2020

Revealed: The students trapped in debt after using ‘buy now, pay later’ service Klarna
Students speak of their experiences with debt after using ‘buy now, pay later’ service Klarna

‘Alone, unsupported, disposable’: UoM abandoned disabled students in switch to online learning
The 61 page Accessibility Report broken down