Prevention of Bullying on Campus

This useful article would be even more important if some of the examples that begin it addressed situations involving part-time faculty, where the protections are much weaker and both personal and professional vulnerability are acute.

While working at a large state university last year, I was repeatedly bullied by a high level supervisor who had previously pushed other administrators and faculty out of their positions. This VP yelled at and berated one particular program director during a staff meeting, humiliating her, and eventually driving her out of the university. This VP proudly refers to herself as the "plunger" and has been allowed to place unreasonable demands on her staff, take credit for the work of others, and has yelled, bullied and intimidated her way across campus unchecked. I have been excluded from meetings with my own staff, excluded from important campus-wide meetings and social events and denied the support of an administrative assistant. I was held responsible for the poor performance of one of my staff members, but was not allowed to provide a performance evaluation that even hinted at this staff member's problems, nor was I supported in taking any form of disciplinary action. I went to our HR department to complain (privately) as my supervisor subjected me to one of her screaming and yelling episodes at a conference in front of colleagues from other academic institutions. The HR department did nothing and although I could have filed a more formal complaint, I chose not to out of fear of losing my position. Nevertheless, I was eventually pushed out of my job before I was able to find another position. From what I have heard, the VP has done all she can to ruin my reputation, and I am unable to find another full-time position. It is my belief that because this woman was successful at her job, she was able to get away with 30 years of abusive and highly unprofessional and unethical behavior. What can people in my position do to save their reputation and career?

So bad at Hunter that I started doing volunteer lobbying with the New York Healthy Workplace Advocates in its efforts for a healthy workplace bill in New York. 2015 may be the year for the law to see the light of day. Lobbying helped me to find solace and strategy for dealing with a real bad situation, which I won't go into detail on this forum. But I did start a petition supporting the healthy workplace bill in Albany and am contacting Clara Wajngurt.

Here is the petition link - http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/make-nys-healthy-workplace?source=c.em.... for anyone from NY and I can be contacted at [email protected]. How bad? Discussions about the bullying that goes on in departments at Hunter are verboten on the College listserv operated by the College Senate and College Faculty Delegate Assembly. The Hunter Chapter of the Professional Staff Congress supports the censorship.

Best of luck to anyone else dealing with this situation.

Connecticut has a group that supports and promotes the Healthy Workplace Bill, Connecticut Healthy Workplace Advocates. But CT legislators on the labor committee, including one CSU-AAUP member of the council, has introduced everything but the HWB--study bills, create-an-advisory-board-bill (and make it applicable only to state workers), etc. I have never understood why national AAUP will not make a strong and definite statement supporting the HWB like the NAACP has. It is the best model legislation.

Since my last comment, the following has happened:

1) CUNY University Faculty Senate published my article about the NYS Healthy Workplace Bill - https://sites.google.com/site/universityfacultysenatecuny/UFS-blog/makin...

2) News paper article in Albany newspaper about the bill: http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2015-04-13-9139...

3) First radio show about psychological harm of workplace bullying - http://goo.gl/GW9gLI

4) Second radio show ... http://goo.gl/4nNAd4

4) Delivered copy of petition (http://goo.gl/uK0cM6) to City University of NY Chancellor Office, generating response from City University NY Executive Provost, prompting more discussion: https://goo.gl/obg8XA

Gregg Morris
Assistant Professor
Department of Film and Media Studies
Hunter College

We work with people who smile in "southern charm", ever so politely, and stab you in the back as you walk away. Bullying here is being ganged up on by the "mean girls" who currently are tenured and think they are great, yet have broken all social norms (not saying hello, never stay for full faculty meeting, talk with each other behind their laptop screens, contribute service in minimal ways. There has never been any collegiality with junior faculty, no mentoring, no friendliness, no recognition for our accomplishments. Always out to get us... Without tenure, junior faculty are fearful to approach anyone for assistance. Faculty in other departments tell us our department is the laughing stock of the institution - that our's has the meanest people there. What a distinction... Administration has been like a revolving door here at all levels, so they continue to get away with it. Smile and stab... Southern hospitality??? WHO is the advocate for junior faculty at a non-union institution? With little concern for faculty interrelationships, it is obvious students don't matter for more than tuition. Pretty sad.

Back in the 80s I was bullied by a female college student while she was trying to break up my marriage. She had no manners and would insult me in front of my peers - other faculty wives. As a young professors wife - I did not speak up. Years later I have never forgotten how degrading and mean spirited this behavior was and how bad I felt. Now I would have gone to the administration. Speak up don't do as I did. We used this inappropriate behavior to teach our daughters how not to behave even in college. Bullying is not just in elementary, high school and among college students. This Engineering college student was after a MRS. Degree and was going for the gold. She got dust and not gold dust. I learned as my daughters did a valuable lesson - Don't tolerate Bullying!!! I just found out this former college students husband had an affair and in 2011 he married his co worker. Karma does happen

Thank you for this important article. I don't disagree that "rules of conduct must reflect the college’s mission and be enforced," and that "[c]olleges and universities must develop clear statements of organizational values that foster a culture of mutual respect." In my experience, however, rules and policies are far less effective than moral leadership. Rules can be ignored, or gotten around, by people who have contempt for them. See: https://mgpiety.org/2017/05/08/a-cure-for-academic-bullying/

Please visit my blogs and read the awful story of academic bullying in which I have been victim from the University of Leicester

https://justice4maxcasu.wordpress.com/my-case/

http://bullyingatuniversityofleicester.blogspot.co.uk/

please sign my petition

https://www.change.org/p/gordon-marsden-mp-shadow-minister-for-further-e...

A bit late to this discussion, but wanted to chime in. I was a staff member terminated from a Colorado community college for speaking to HR and to the college president about the bullying I was experiencing from a new, inexperienced supervisor. The HR Assistant Director — the person I had confided in — joined my supervisor in firing me. I have since heard several stories about mistreatment and terminations of dedicated, well-liked, experienced staff and faculty terminated from this college, including a case brought to AAUP. I believe the problem is that higher ed administrators often obtain their positions as a result of academic achievements and personal alliances, not demonstrated leadership experience and are provided little management training. HR staff seem mainly interested in preventing expensive law suits, but not preventing staff turnover, which ultimately can be just as costly.

Is there a list of universities that have adopted an anti-bullying policy, or anywhere that such policies have been compiled?

Great article! Also this might help - 10 Ways Parents Can Prevent Bullying
https://www.lydiagreicobooks.com/10-ways-parents-can-prevent-bullying/

Thanks!