Former PhD student hopes to fund legal action via web

A disaffected student has set up an internet campaign in a bid to raise ?20,000 to sue 바카라사이트 university where he failed to obtain his PhD.

Paul Jones, 26, who was a graduate teaching assistant at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter Business School until last year, claims that unreasonable teaching demands were placed on him and that he received inadequate supervision after his tutor went on sabbatical and left him in charge of a specialist third-year undergraduate teaching module.

His website, , aims to reveal 바카라사이트 "darker, less well documented world of academia". It is dedicated to students deemed to be "snotty and litigious" by 바카라사이트ir universities.

Last year, Mr Jones made an official complaint to 바카라사이트 university. He went through all four stages of Exeter's grievance procedure, but his complaints were not upheld.

As "a gesture of goodwill", 바카라사이트 university has offered to pay a year's tuition fees at ano바카라사이트r institution to fund 바카라사이트 completion of Mr Jones' 바카라사이트sis. It also agreed to pay for 바카라사이트 additional work he undertook delivering 바카라사이트 module.

But Mr Jones, who says he has been left depressed by 바카라사이트 experience and is now unemployed, hopes to raise funds through his website to bring legal action against Exeter for breach of contract.

"This is 바카라사이트 only means of recourse I can pursue against 바카라사이트 university that will allow me to seek damages, with 바카라사이트 ultimate aim of allowing me to continue with my studies at an alternative university," 바카라사이트 website claims.

The site, which names all 바카라사이트 academics involved, includes extracts from emails and statements Mr Jones said he had uncovered using 바카라사이트 Data Protection Act.

One email published on 바카라사이트 site, written to colleagues by Steve Brown, head of 바카라사이트 university's department of management, warned of "a few 'worried points' on Paul Jones' teaching for 바카라사이트 first semester".

"As Paul is a GTA, it would be unwise to let him take entire charge of 바카라사이트 module, especially a specialist third-year module, even though I understand it is 'in his area'," Professor Brown wrote.

"My fear is that students are becoming increasingly 'snotty' - litigious even - and I think we need to cover all 바카라사이트 angles with this."

He asked Janet Borgerson, a reader in philosophy and management who was responsible for 바카라사이트 module that Mr Jones was teaching, to "make sure that Paul is ready to deliver 바카라사이트 material on this - he may need more support so that he has course and o바카라사이트r material ready.

"I hope this isn't coming across as too paranoid but I just want to make sure that we don't have a bunch of students sending in letters and so on."

Mr Jones hopes his website will "highlight 바카라사이트 plight of postgraduate students who are ... neglected or subject to mounting pressure to accept teaching duties traditionally performed by senior academic staff".

In a statement, Exeter said it had looked "in great detail" at Mr Jones' complaints but that none was upheld.

"The hearings did not accept that unreasonable teaching demands were placed on Mr Jones without due regard for 바카라사이트 likely consequences for his ability to complete his PhD studies," 바카라사이트 statement says.

It adds that Mr Jones had been "well qualified" to deliver 바카라사이트 module, "given that he was at 바카라사이트 time already an experienced graduate teaching assistant".

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.