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So I have been subjected to rumors of the worst kinds on several occasions. Once I failed three times in a row a student that is older 10 years than me and double heavier and taller than me. I failed him for blatant plagiarism. He then started a rumor that I tried to physically assault him on multiple occasions (luckily I could prove this was not true). He also lodged an appeal against his expulsion for plagiarism and won on basis that nobody knows as the decision was not reasoned. Universities bend over backwards these days to keep students as they are paying clients and allow everything and anything. The mature student lied in his appeal and nobody even contacted me to ask what happened. When he won the appeal he asked my book to unlock my office and let him in to leave flowers and a card for me. My boss did so and I was shocked to see he was in my office (I have my own office) and left presents. I became scared of him as he seemed to have traits of a sociopath. I did not sleep that night and the next morning I failed my driving test due to not being able to focus at all. I told this to my boss and he sent me an email where he seemed concerned about this, but that was just to appear such in case I complain, so he can have something in writing about how he was sympathetic to my suffering. He then went to my colleague and told him this confidential info about my mental health!!! He didn't even deny it but pretended it was for my own benefit even though this colleague was just another lecturer, so it was just a gossip. I talked to my boss to talk to student and tell him to reverse the damage that was done to my reputation as I now had entire cohort of students that I had to teach all of whom believed that I was trying to physically assault someone. It was a horrible feeling being subject to such malicious defamation. My boss told me to get over it and be professional. I talked to my boss' boss who told me my boss should settle the case. I talked to the person at the uni in charge of students and she didn't care at all. Later, when my boss prolonged the deadline for that student in my course without as much as consulting or informing me, I launched a complaint against him. Boss lied that he prolonged deadline in consultation with some colleagues (who in either case do not have anything to do with my courses and do not have authority to decide on anything). I have emails from those colleagues that they were never consulted. The person from senior management that investigated this complaint dismissed everything I had to say and just very shortly decided that student was never in my office with flowers as there was no evidence (even though there were people who I told her could confirm this as the students asked them first to let him into my office), that my boss did consult my colleagues about prolonging students deadline (she obviously never looked at emails I had from them where they told me nothing like that has ever happened). Even if he did consult them, they don't matter and I am the one who should have been told, He also failed to answer emails where I asked him what is going on with this student's deadline and tried to know the extent to which he micromanaged my course without even informing me. Anyway, I lost faith in the grievance procedure. This boss soon went to retirement and we got another one who is two years from retirement, they just shifted him from one department to another.
The new boss continued the legacy. I arrived to work the other day to find out that he told the students that they can have questions for my exam in advance. This makes it completely irrelevant for them to attend my course and to try. It also means that they all have to make only the minimum effort to get great grades. It is about 6-8 pages they need to prepare which might be suitable if you are 7 years old but not when you are on final year of your studies. Why on earth would he do this? Two or three students were in his office complaining about it apparently, They said I was unfriendly, rude, unhelpful, and difficult. None of this is true. I tried hard to remember if there was ever any issue between me and any student and there was nothing ever. We had a great atmosphere in the lectures, I have a lot of passion for this subject and liked this small group. So I told him the students were lying as usual at our university, and asked him to tell me what exactly have I done wrong. He had nothing to say. Then he said he cannot tell me who or what was said. I asked if they had any proof of anything and he said no. Of course they don't because nothing happened, they were just looking for easy way out (I already made it so easy for them as they were getting 18 questions in advance and 4 of those were going to be on exam but they didn't know which ones). So there I was, accused of some really nasty things not knowing what they are, completely confused and had my boss take drastic measures available only in extreme cases behind my back and without as much as consulting me or asking for my side of the story. I wouldn't even have anything to say to all this as nobody told me what happened. I still don't know what was I accused of. I sat in the car and drive home completely distressed, humiliated, with no motivation to lecture any more as it would be to an empty lecture room with 2 or 3 students maybe. It is like building something and having someone tear it down. I almost made a car accident and was unable to breathe from pressure and stress. I got signed off work by my GP for several weeks. Now, during the sick leave HR is contacting me to tell me that they need me to attend meetings and fill in forms which is also not too legal after one case in 2016. I will respond that I would appreciate being left alone during my period of sick leave and that I don't need any help or support from them (they haven't been too supportive when I was complaining before so they are just a part of managment).
I understand that the education in the UK has gone to sh*t, that students are just paying clients which need to be kept at all cost, but I didn't agree to be defamed and mentally abused by the system in which I have no effective complaint mechanism. University has a duty of care to provide safe and healthy working environment.
I want to take this case to employment tribunal. Any thoughts, advice? My union guy is very mild and just acts as therapist rather than doing anything proactive.
Many thanks.
The new boss continued the legacy. I arrived to work the other day to find out that he told the students that they can have questions for my exam in advance. This makes it completely irrelevant for them to attend my course and to try. It also means that they all have to make only the minimum effort to get great grades. It is about 6-8 pages they need to prepare which might be suitable if you are 7 years old but not when you are on final year of your studies. Why on earth would he do this? Two or three students were in his office complaining about it apparently, They said I was unfriendly, rude, unhelpful, and difficult. None of this is true. I tried hard to remember if there was ever any issue between me and any student and there was nothing ever. We had a great atmosphere in the lectures, I have a lot of passion for this subject and liked this small group. So I told him the students were lying as usual at our university, and asked him to tell me what exactly have I done wrong. He had nothing to say. Then he said he cannot tell me who or what was said. I asked if they had any proof of anything and he said no. Of course they don't because nothing happened, they were just looking for easy way out (I already made it so easy for them as they were getting 18 questions in advance and 4 of those were going to be on exam but they didn't know which ones). So there I was, accused of some really nasty things not knowing what they are, completely confused and had my boss take drastic measures available only in extreme cases behind my back and without as much as consulting me or asking for my side of the story. I wouldn't even have anything to say to all this as nobody told me what happened. I still don't know what was I accused of. I sat in the car and drive home completely distressed, humiliated, with no motivation to lecture any more as it would be to an empty lecture room with 2 or 3 students maybe. It is like building something and having someone tear it down. I almost made a car accident and was unable to breathe from pressure and stress. I got signed off work by my GP for several weeks. Now, during the sick leave HR is contacting me to tell me that they need me to attend meetings and fill in forms which is also not too legal after one case in 2016. I will respond that I would appreciate being left alone during my period of sick leave and that I don't need any help or support from them (they haven't been too supportive when I was complaining before so they are just a part of managment).
I understand that the education in the UK has gone to sh*t, that students are just paying clients which need to be kept at all cost, but I didn't agree to be defamed and mentally abused by the system in which I have no effective complaint mechanism. University has a duty of care to provide safe and healthy working environment.
I want to take this case to employment tribunal. Any thoughts, advice? My union guy is very mild and just acts as therapist rather than doing anything proactive.
Many thanks.
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