The UCU/UUK strike action has hit many universities across the UK, and it has brought its own debate to the University of Manchester. Enflamed by her links with Will Spinks - the outgoing Registrar, Secretary, and Chief Operating Officer of the university - Dame Nancy Rothwell, Vice-Chancellor of the university, has been heavily criticised for her response to the talks and perceived lack of support for staff.
'Take Action! UoM' is a newly-formed group of students protesting against both the university and Students' Union in light of these issues, and I interviewed David Huish, one of the founders of the group, about their activities, their opinions on a series of meetings called by Dame Nancy with students and staff, and how they would have handled the situation differently in her position.
This was a particularly challenging issue, as due to the sensitivity of the matter I only discovered the meetings about 50 minutes before they took place - and before I went on air! Within those fifty minutes, I had to arrange for a guest at the meeting to appear on the station, discover what had happened at previous meetings, and establish a line of questioning that would not fall foul of any university broadcasting regulations.
With this in mind, and considering I didn't have time to prep my interviewee or find out what he would say before going on air, I am extremely proud of what I managed to produce.
