Do MMU students get to use all of UOM's libraries, and facilities?

I read that Manchester Metropolitan (MMU) and University of Manchester (UOM) has/had an agreement to share facilities. Then MMU students treated John Rylands library like their jungle and got banned from using it except for a few students on the 'trustworthy' list. Is this agreement to share facilities still on? And what facilities are shared? All the libraries? Student Union? Gym? Lecture theaters? Clubs and Societies? Wow. So does that mean gaining admission into UOM means gaining admission to MMU at the same time?

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 1

kaffee

anybody?

University of Manchester

Manchester

Reply 2

Hal.E.Lujah

Yes, the universities share facilities, some societies, and often even guest lectures. They're extremely closely tied. The rumour about the MMU students trashing the place is probably just that.

Reply 3

Origami Bullets

You can gain access to UoM's libraries via the SCONUL scheme, but there's no access at exam times, and IIRC you can't withdraw books, you can only look at them within the library. The rumours about lists of trustworthy students are just rumours.

There's also a reciprocal (but little known and rarely used) arrangement that allows students to join each other's societies.

The aquatics centre is jointly owned and also open to the public.

The students unions are entirely separate entities, though you can go to gigs at either regardless of whether you're a student or not.

Apart from that they're completely different unis. Teaching is entirely separate, lecture theatres aren't shared, students rarely socialise with students from the other uni (indeed, there's a lot of tribal rivalry) and ultimately you're only going to be getting your degree from one uni. So, getting into UoM does not mean getting into MMU at all, or vice versa.

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Reply 4

kaffee

Original post by Origami Bullets

Tribal rivalry. That's what I'm talking about. Has nobody or the student union ever raised a concern about this? Does not mixing students of a redbrick uni with an ex-poly uni create trouble? Are MMU students very enthusiastic about using UOM libraries or is this merely an arrangement in theory, and one would rarely see any MMU students around in UOM? Origami Bullets, whats your opinion about such arrangements, by the way? Do you consider it more of a boon or bane?

Reply 5

Luxray

I've seen some MMU students use the main library and I've even seen a few use the computers in other buildings (they borrow their UoM friend's login). Does kind of annoy me simply because this means that there's fewer computers that are available for me to use.

I also know that MMU students generally don't have access to as many electronic library books as us, but if they get their hands on a student login then they can use them.

Reply 6

kaffee

Original post by Luxray

I'm just gonna be straightforward and ask this. Are MMU students generally troublemakers? Do you have CCTV in the main library and/or learning commons? Is it easy to get an UOM officer to stand on UOM students' side when MMU students start making trouble? Is it easy to differentiate MMU students from UOM students? Like, how do you actually know the few who are borrowing their UOM friend's login are actually what you think they are, MMU students?

Reply 7

Origami Bullets

Original post by kaffee

Rivalry between two unis in the same city is fairly standard practice. It happens in Bristol even though the two unis are nowhere near each other, for instance. It's not about 'trouble' as such, it's just rivalry, but that sort of thing is fairly normal, and it's really nothing to worry about.

MMU students are not, in fact, instantly recognisable as such, so the extent to which you'd actually notice their presence is exceedingly debatable. However, SCONUL is not a widely known (and therefore widely used) scheme, and in reality I very much doubt that significant numbers of MMU students are actually using UoM libraries (I used the scheme only once in three years). Access is suspended during exam periods, when the library is busy, and as I've never been aware of MMU students causing trouble in the library I think it's more of a boon than anything else - the arrangement is reciprocal, so it does benefit UoM students too. Indeed, as SCONUL is national, it also means that I can access the university libraries in my hometown, for instance.

Original post by kaffee

You appear to be confusing MMU with a Young Offender's Institution. I'm yet to see MMU students causing trouble, and if one did then security would deal with them as they would anyone else.