Tuesday 27-04-2021 - 10:14

Last month, I published an update detailing University of Manchester accommodation proposals that I worked in collaboration with RA/JCR committees. The University has responded to the proposals and you can see their update below.

Junior Usina, Welfare & Community Officer

ACCOMMODATION PROPOSAL ACTIONS

1) Common Rooms Reopening

Currently the government and university lockdown roadmap state households cannot mix indoors. The government roadmap makes clear that the earliest six people or two households will be able to meet indoors is 17th May.

Even though single households can currently meet indoors, there is no reasonable way to monitor people who are from single households. Spaces would need to be monitored and touch points cleaned between each group. Further considerations are needed to take a consistent approach across all halls and the continued lack poor behaviours by a minority of students (which have already led to the occasional closure of some spaces because of household mixing).

2) Communication

There is acknowledgement to continue to improve communication, engagement, and ideas. Ideas directly from students are always welcome/

Following additional investment, a communications coordinator has just been employed within the University residential team. This role will curate communication working with the wider University communications team but will also work directly with student representatives and the Res Life teams in each hall.
There will be updates to the Accommodation webpages to include current government and University guidelines changes. These will be reviewed regularly to provide a further source of information for residents.

More widely, it is recognised that the Accommodation webpage would benefit from a complete overhaul and redesign and work has started with the relevant teams to plan how to do this.

There is a continued commitment from the Residences Team to involve more Students Union and Hall Reps in key incidents and important communications.

3) Tackling Students Behaviour

Addressing poor behaviour by a minority of students continues to be an ongoing effort in the Halls, mainly Fallowfield Halls. There is a commitment from the University to continue supporting students who are distressed by other students’ bad behaviours. The University has in place disciplinary polices to tackle students’ behaviours. A University group including Students’ Union and Hall Reps have met to consider students’ bad behaviours in the University Accommodation and discuss the best approaches to support students and staff.

4) Accommodation Working Group

The Senior Students Councils acts as the main group to represent students’ interest in the accommodation to inform University decision making. The current Senior Students Council will be reviewed to see if this group already meet the requirements suggested in this proposal.