University of Sheffield spends £40,000 on private investigation into student activists

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The University of Sheffield has spent almost £40,000 on a private investigation into students it believes were involved in occupations earlier this academic year.

Martha Foulds, one student under investigation, is blind and was previously told by the University that purchasing a £3,000 Braille embosser would be “too much”.

“There is, however, £40k to spend investigating me and other student activists. I am simply aghast,” she said in a Tweet yesterday.

Invoices obtained by a Freedom of Information request by The Tab show payments from the University of Sheffield to investigation firm Intersol Global totalling £39,615 between September 2022 and 16th January 2023.

The investigation firm was hired to look into whether two students were involved in the campus occupations in October which protested Sheffield’s links to the arms industry, The Guardian reports.

Ms Foulds, who believes she was profiled due to former activism work, received a letter on 9th November informing her of the investigation and saying she may face suspension or expulsion from the University.

She told the Guardian the uncertainty of the investigation hanging over her in her final year of university led to her having suicidal thoughts.

The University hired Intersol Global to investigate students including Martha Foulds

She said: “I became quite unwell in January and found it really distressing that there was this process happening, and I didn’t know what I’d even been alleged to have done, or know how long it was going to last.

“It left me in quite a suicidal position because I felt there was no way out. It feels like, how have they got my name? There can be no evidence that I was there.”

Both students under investigation say they can prove they were not in the city at the time of the occupations.

A spokesperson for the University of Sheffield said: “Intersol Global provides independent support for some cases – this includes investigations into student complaints as well as disciplinary cases. Universities across the UK use third party companies for investigations as they offer a level of independence for all parties involved, as well as specialist regulatory knowledge.

“We let any student who is subject to any form of investigation know where they can seek support around their concerns, as well as access guidance, welfare and wellbeing support, including the opportunity to book an appointment with a wellbeing advisor.”
The University also said it fully supports “the right of students and staff to express their views peacefully within the law,” but university building occupations “cause significant disruption for students and other University activities.”
It did not comment on its refusal to purchase a £3,000 Braille embosser.

A spokesperson for Intersol Global told The Guardian: “Intersol Global act as external impartial investigators for a variety of institutions, including higher education providers, and can confirm we are doing so in this case. The investigation is ongoing and the investigation process is confidential, as such it is our policy not to make any comment.”