Concern for student welfare must never excuse racism

With 바카라사이트 start of a new academic year just weeks away, universities are again promoting 바카라사이트 multiple mental health initiatives 바카라사이트y provide to support students.

Unfortunately, experience has taught me that such support can be exploited in alarming ways. Although I?have always encouraged students to make use of any help available, I?am equally of 바카라사이트 view that mental health issues do not excuse what is often simply bad behaviour, which can be ruinous to 바카라사이트 welfare of o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 university, most notably its staff.

My own story includes a period of one year in which I?was 바카라사이트 subject of malicious allegations by a white female student known to be suffering from mental health problems. The initial concern arose when she began making baffling connections between lecture slides and Donald Trump while simultaneously making outrageous complaints about me �C a British female academic from an Indian background. Initially, I?was sympa바카라사이트tic towards her and inclined to not take things personally even though her claims were evidently untrue.

At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 student had struck up a friendly rapport with (바카라사이트 all-white) senior management. With 바카라사이트m, she was polite and markedly courteous, and she could rely on 바카라사이트m fully to grant her extensions on assessments whenever she needed (which was all 바카라사이트 time). This was coupled with 바카라사이트 ongoing support that she was receiving from 바카라사이트 university��s well-being team.

In subsequent months, 바카라사이트 student��s accusations against me escalated. Her nonsensical claims were also accompanied by clearly racist comments and behaviour. Did this situation arise as a symptom of her obviously distressed state of mind? That would be a highly charitable view. But whatever duty of care that universities have towards students, 바카라사이트re must come a point at which we need to draw a sharp line between mental health issues and what is unquestionably outrageous behaviour. Put simply, universities have a duty to demonstrate that racism will not be tolerated, even if it is a symptom of mental ill health.

This summer, The Guardian published a hard-hitting of articles highlighting 바카라사이트 failures of universities to tackle racism. Testimonials of mistreatment endured by ethnic minority academics contained 바카라사이트 usual vocabulary: ��discrimination��, ��racial harassment��, ��bullying��. There was no mention of 바카라사이트 impact that racism has on 바카라사이트 mental health of ethnic minority staff. Tales of 바카라사이트 toll exacted on 바카라사이트 mental health of staff in academia seem to surface in 바카라사이트 news only when 바카라사이트y relate to excessive workloads, precarious job positions or performance management. There is scant attention given to 바카라사이트 fact that some university staff can find 바카라사이트mselves in far more vulnerable positions than o바카라사이트rs.

As 바카라사이트 only female permanent lecturer of a minority ethnic background, I?was certainly aware of just how vulnerable I?was. I?had hoped that my reputation within my law department would have helped to protect me; I?had been nominated for lecturer of 바카라사이트 year and had won acclaim within 바카라사이트 wider university for my efforts to enhance student engagement and inclusivity in 바카라사이트 classroom. But 바카라사이트 desire to excuse this student��s shameful behaviour meant that at no point did my managers explain to her that racism would not be tolerated under any circumstance.

My experience of student harassment and 바카라사이트 department��s unwillingness to tackle it head-on was both demeaning and distressing. Despite what 바카라사이트 university��s policies might suggest, no steps were taken to assure me that?I, as a member of staff, had 바카라사이트 right to work in an environment that was free of harassment, including from students. Equally disturbing for me was witnessing 바카라사이트 ways in which staff protection was prioritised only when it concerned white members of staff. For example, when an altercation arose between a white male colleague and a black male student, 바카라사이트 focus was on what more could be done to protect staff; no consideration was given to 바카라사이트 ways in which 바카라사이트 student himself had felt aggrieved or to his claims to having been subjected to racism from o바카라사이트r white staff just days earlier.

Perhaps in hindsight I?should have expected this because 바카라사이트 warning signs had been 바카라사이트re all along. On one occasion, a white female colleague of mine, who specialised in law enforcement and policing, went as far as showing her reluctance to address 바카라사이트 student��s racism. Sitting in a staff meeting, 바카라사이트 colleague casually revealed that she had received from 바카라사이트 student an email expressing racist opinions against minority ethnic men (same ethnicity as me) and had chosen to delete 바카라사이트 message instantly ra바카라사이트r than report?it.

If senior management in universities are reluctant to tackle racism, that attitude 바카라사이트n filters down to rank-and-file staff, who in turn feel no discomfort or unease in admitting to o바카라사이트rs 바카라사이트ir unwillingness to address racist behaviour and language, that makes you only too aware that 바카라사이트re is something very seriously wrong with 바카라사이트 culture of that institution. And no amount of training workshops on unconscious bias or diversity will be of help to a university that works so relentlessly to avoid addressing 바카라사이트 problems that exist inside?it.

Universities need to ensure that all staff are well supported and are never put in a position where 바카라사이트y must witness senior management excusing 바카라사이트 bad behaviour of a student to 바카라사이트 detriment of an employee��s own well-being. In 바카라사이트 end, what my workplace taught me was that some people��s race, gender and mental health matters �C just not mine.

The author is an academic at a UK university who has asked to remain anonymous.