It has recently been revealed that Manchester University has spent £835,000 on security for the 2020/21 academic year, according to The Manchester Tab.
It is forecast that the University are set to spend approximately £5.4m on improving security this year, having already paid out £309,776 on PPE and £220,000 on meals for self-isolating students; the estimated total spend for 2020/21 is set to be £118,000 higher than that of the previous year.
After it was announced that the UK was entering a second lockdown in November 2020, Manchester University installed £11,000 worth of security fencing around the Fallowfield halls of residence.
The decision to install the fencing was met with protest from students however, many of them claiming they were not informed before the fences were put in place.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, remarked: “I want to apologise again for the distress caused by putting up the fence yesterday and the very poor communication surrounding this.
“I am determined to find out what went wrong and to learn from it. As a matter of urgency, I have commissioned an inquiry into these events. This will be conducted by Professor Clive Agnew, a former Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students, and our intention is to also include a former Students’ Union Officer.
“They will examine how and, for what reasons, the decision to erect the fence around the residences on the Fallowfield campus was taken and how this decision was – or wasn’t – communicated to students. The report will be submitted by the end of November and we will publish the full report as soon as possible for all to see.”