Police are investigating “serious allegations” at the University of Greater Manchester, including of financial misconduct, racism and bullying, MPs have been told.
Lucy Powell, the leader of the House of Commons, confirmed that police had joined the Office for Students, the higher education regulator for England, in looking into the allegations at the university, which was known until recently as the University of Bolton.
Phil Brickell, the Labour MP for Bolton West, asked Powell to give MPs time to debate allegations that had emerged from whistleblowers and detailed reporting by the Manchester Mill, an independent news site.
Brickell told MPs: “Recent reports published by the Manchester Mill about racism, financial misconduct and bullying at the University of Greater Manchester in Bolton have significantly damaged the reputation of that institution over the last few weeks.
“Those reports have also led to a significant number of whistleblowers contacting me with further allegations highlighting concerning practices at the university. Given the university’s position as a key institution in Bolton, and that it is receiving significant public funding, it must be transparent and accountable, as must the Office for Students.”
Powell said the claims were of “huge importance” for people in Bolton. “The Office for Students are looking into these very serious allegations and are engaging with the provider. And I’m aware the police are involved as well,” she said.
A spokesperson for the university, which has nearly 11,000 students, said it had launched an investigation into the allegations.
“The university has commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct an independent investigation into recent allegations reported in the press relating to the conduct and affairs of senior personnel working for or on behalf of the university,” they said. “The investigation will be overseen by the university’s audit committee. Until we have the outcome of that investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment any further.”
Brickell has also written to Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, outlining his concerns about the financing of an “off-campus site” in Morocco and what he described as credible allegations of bullying and racism.
Brickell said he had been “inundated” by complaints “highlighting concerning practices within the university” and asked for an investigation.
“The accusations I am receiving from whistleblowers and in anonymous emails and letters reveals what seems to be a systematic misuse of public funds,” Brickell told Phillipson.
Brickell said the university’s importance to Bolton “cannot be overstated”, and that the allegations needed to be addressed.
“While I recognise the university itself has acted swiftly to initiate an investigation, I am disappointed by the lack of urgency on show from the Office for Students,” Brickell said.
“I hope to meet with the vice-chancellor [Prof George Holmes] soon and for information to be shared about the investigation’s terms of reference given the additional allegations I have received over the past few weeks.”
Last month, Neil O’Brien, a shadow education minister, questioned ministers in parliament over “the extremely concerning reports” involving the university, “about the attempts to pay huge sums of what is effectively taxpayers’ money to relatives of the university’s managers, and to what appears to be a shell company in Casablanca”.
The University of Greater Manchester was known as the University of Bolton until the Office for Students approved its request for the name change in December last year.
Source: www.theguardian.com