Today was the start of the teaching term. I had a load of things to do ranging from gaining access to my module to writiue ng tomorrow's powerpoint for my first lecture. Naturally lots of things got in the way. The main thing was a colleague reducing me to tears by an email. Two students had emailed me at the start of July and mid August to ask for feedback on their exam. I had been their tutor and they knew me best. Both were very apologetic for disturbing me in the summer and both said September would be fine. In July I emailed the module co-ordinator and asked if he wanted to give feedback or would I do it. Much humming and hahing during which he said he was going on holiday, that we shouldn't jump when the students made a request, that he'd already done a load, and I said I wasn't going on holiday and was happy to do it, he snapped if I couldn't manage to forward it on to him. I did so. The girl who asked in August, I went back to module co-ordinator, stated that I was happy to do this and the secretaries had said they would find the paper for me. He informed me I wouldn't be able to as he still had the papers in his office and wouldn't be back till October (on research leave) and to send on the email and he would get back to the student and see her then. I sent the email to him saying that as he was on research leave till January I didn't mind doing it for him. Today I get an email to the student, copied to me, in which he states that even though he is on research leave he will extraordinarily be available for her next week and stated that she should have contacted him directly as only module co-ordinators could give feedback. First I heard of it: he hadn't said it to me at any point before. I checked to see if this was an unwritten rule and it isn't: we should just always check with the co-ordinator about it. As I had done. I replied to the co-ordinator's email stating that I hadn't known he had this rule about only him giving feedback and that I had given it before. I have to say I was furious that he undermined me to the student in the email to her so was quite curt, I suppose. He replied by stating that it was not his rule and that he would appreciate it if I did not interfere in a module on which I was no longer teaching. I burst into tears. I hadn't been interfering, I had been trying to help him out and relieve some of his work. I wrote back (probably a mistake) saying that, and explaining that the students had contacted me as I was their tutor. I also stated that because of his workload and going on research I had been trying to alleviate his workload but that it clearly hadn't been appreciated and I would not annoy him again.
I am furious. I have had bother with this guy's desire to control everything all last year, I deliberately asked not to be teaching the module again because of him and I quite frankly feel that he is a bully and what he has done is tantamount to bullying. His problem with me is that I won't just kowtow to him and that I do challenge him, as I believe I should when warranted as his colleague (he's been there longer than me but isn't actually much senior than me in that we are both lecturers and not senior lecturers). So that put a downer on the rest of the day and it took me to 7 then to finish the powerpoint.
I went to my GP today with my note from my rheumatologist about the methotrextate. Got the script and have taken my first dose. I've been warned about the alcohol again and that it might make me nauseous so here's hoping I make it to my first lecture tomorrow at 9am!
1 comment:
Yes, I believe you were subjected to bullying and as the evidence is in writing you have substantive evidence of it. You were only trying to do your job by supporting these students and as such you should be applauded. Bullying in the workplace is just as unacceptable as it is in the playground. I know, I was subjected to it myself, and it did incredible damage to my self-confidence and self-esteem and was, in part, responsible for the worsening of the depression that ultimately led to me having to take medical retirement.
Good luck for your first lecture of the new educational year.
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