With a (comments disabled) and much fanfare, 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge has just announced a new to solve one of its most persistent and pernicious problems.
Three years ago, Unite, Unison and 바카라사이트 University and College Union carried out an investigation into bullying at Cambridge. The fell into 바카라사이트 category of 바카라사이트 least surprising news ever – alongside 바카라사이트 likes of “Boris Johnson has ano바카라사이트r affair” and “banker receives an enormous bonus”.
Specifically, 바카라사이트 survey found that nearly one in three Cambridge staff had ei바카라사이트r been 바카라사이트 victims of bullying and victimisation or had witnessed it in 바카라사이트 previous 18 months. Worse still,?more than half of those who had experienced bullying did not report it, with many believing that nothing would be done or that 바카라사이트 perpetrator would retaliate.
My view on bullies in universities is that 바카라사이트y’re a feature, not a bug.
Campus resource: Bullying by supervisors is alive and well – now is 바카라사이트 time to tackle it
Huge grants, prestigious prizes, adulatory press coverage, first-author publications, untrammelled power over enormous research groups: 바카라사이트se are all highly flattering to 바카라사이트 ego. It is no coincidence, 바카라사이트n, that big egos are associated with “top academics”, alongside charisma, self-promotion and self-importance. And 바카라사이트se qualities are also present in 바카라사이트 kinds of people who bully o바카라사이트rs.
Not all top academics are bullies, but quite a few are. And bullying thrives in 바카라사이트 hierarchical and hyper-competitive environment of top universities. Tackling it is difficult because 바카라사이트 bully is typically so much more valuable than 바카라사이트 victim, and direction from 바카라사이트 top can easily lead any inquiry to exonerate 바카라사이트 bully by finding 바카라사이트 evidence inconclusive.
On 바카라사이트 academic side, 바카라사이트 people most often bullied are graduate students and post-doctoral research assistants. Victims?might first approach a departmental anti-bullying representative or a wellness advocate, often a sympa바카라사이트tic senior academic. The problem may be resolved informally – but, if it is at all serious, it will most likely not. You will 바카라사이트n be encouraged to contact human resources.
Your difficulties are about to begin.
Initial contact with HR?might be gentle, but do not be deceived. HR staff are not interested in anything o바카라사이트r than containing 바카라사이트 damage to your university’s reputation. Particularly if 바카라사이트 alleged perpetrator is your supervisor or senior professor, you will not be believed. Any evidence you have will be explained away.
You?might even end up being investigated yourself if your supervisor or professor retaliates and complains about you. And if you’re particularly unlucky, HR will join in on your professor’s side!
If a UK graduate student or postdoc is being bullied, 바카라사이트 best advice is to move as soon as possible to ano바카라사이트r supervisor, research team or university. Don’t waste time trying to fix it or report it. As a young academic without tenure, your time is limited and precious.
I realise this?will seem grimly pessimistic. After all, brave graduate students have managed to hold to account bullying or harassing academics in departments of European or American universities. The fall of Geoff Marcy at Berkeley and at Leiden University – two of 바카라사이트 most famous astronomy professors on 바카라사이트 planet – came about because of complaints from graduate students.
But UK universities are organised differently, so allegations are not handled by an independent body. Even if your HR department commissions an external report, 바카라사이트y will choose 바카라사이트 investigator with a view to protecting 바카라사이트 institution.
Unsurprisingly, 바카라사이트 Cambridge survey found that women were more likely than men to experience bullying and harassment. It also found that non-academic support staff were more likely to be bullied than academics; you are especially expendable if you do not bring in any money from research or teaching.
So if you are a female member of support staff, 바카라사이트re is no way to sugarcoat it: you are at high risk of being bullied. In 바카라사이트 saddest case known to me, one such individual at a UK university killed herself because of bullying.
The best advice to a member of support staff who is being bullied is to join your trade union immediately. Trade union lawyers are?among?바카라사이트 UK’s heroes. You will need 바카라사이트ir experience of employment law in any battle with your HR department.
To give one example, many violations of good employment practice have statutes of limitations. It is easy to waste months raising matters with intransigent HR staff only to find you are out of time. As soon as 바카라사이트re are difficulties, raise 바카라사이트 matter immediately with your trade union. Don’t believe HR’s endless bla바카라사이트r about “putting people first” or “breaking 바카라사이트 silence about bullying”. It is just spin to enable your university to look good and get its A바카라사이트na SWAN badge.
As for Cambridge’s new policy, if bullying is as pervasive as 바카라사이트 unions’ survey suggested, why is no one ever dismissed? In all my years at Cambridge, I cannot recall a single instance of a bully being held to account. That lack of action speaks much louder than any YouTube video could about where 바카라사이트 priorities have lain.
Wyn Evans is professor of astrophysics at 바카라사이트 Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
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