St. Anselm Hall

St Anselm Hall, known colloquially as Slems, is a traditional hall of residence at the University of Manchester, situated in Victoria Park. It was founded in 1907 by Rev. Thomas B. Allworthy on behalf of the Church of England for the theological training of male students. The hall was later licensed by the University of Manchester as an official hall of residence in 1954, extending the student capacity from 70 to its current 130. The hall remained an all-male institution until 2017 when female students were admitted for the first time. Prior to this, it was the last university-owned fraternal hall of residence in the UK. Until 2020, the hall was composed of the Junior Common Room (JCR), made up of undergraduates, and the Senior Common Room, made up of tutors, the warden, and university academics. The last live-in warden left the hall in 2019. There are currently a number of scholarships attached to the hall. Awarded on an annual basis, these scholarships empower the hall's student leadership and reward exceptional contributions to hall life. The hall was closed for the academic year 2020–2021, reopening in September 2021.