======= Date Modified 21 12 2010 22:12:04 =======
======= Date Modified 21 08 2010 22:08:21 =======
Does anyone else here have a problem getting on with any members of departmental academic staff (besides your supervisor of course), to the point where it is making life in the department almost awkward? One academic in my department would be generally within my discipline. She is very outspoken about other people's work at seminars, pointing out gaps like there is no tomorrow, but to the point where she is just overly critical and harsh. She is like this to everyone, but because she is in my field I get it much worse! (as I said she is very generally within my field, but she wouldn't have researched on topics at all close to my project)

Thing is, there seems to be a bit of a personality clash there too. I know that herself and my supervisor don't get on at all - I've heard that they sometimes fight like cats and dogs over certain issues at staff meetings. She isn't very nice to me sometimes, I don't know if it is over my supervisor or not, but it makes me dread bumping into her because my office is very near hers. She has made no secret out of the fact that she doesn't like my topic and has criticised it harshly in front of my supervisor, as if to make a point to him. I don't know if it's a case that I'm the piggy-in-the-middle or if she just genuinely doesn't like me! She shouldn't have a reason not too, I'd be a chatty, friendly person and would try to get on with everyone.

Anyone else have any issues with departmental staff? Would make me feel better if I knew I wasn't the only one!

:-(:-(:-(

Hey! Well I don't personally have issues with any of the staff in our department, but my supervisor certainly has a few enemies that I know of, and that can be a little awkward sometimes because some of the people she can't stand I get on with quite well. But my supervisor is the kind of person who would consider one of her students talking to one of her hated members of staff as a crime punishable with death! There also seems to be some sort of competitive thing going on between her and my second supervisor, who seem to be permanently trying to score points off one another, and sometimes he has responded to me in a way that makes me think he's deliberately being a bit unhelpful because I'm one of her students and he doesn't want her PhD students doing better than his own...sad, I know. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I'm not the only one to have noticed it! Personally I tend to just get on with everyone and I can't be bothered with the tittle-tattle, but you don't have to look that far in the department to find a bit of bitchiness and bad feeling! I also worry sometimes that people who don't get on with my supervisor will decide they don't like me just because I'm one of her students, but it doesn't seem to work like that fortunately! So try not to worry too much, I think there are a lot of politics in every department that determine who gets on with who and so on- just be your usual self with everyone and hopefully people will see you for who you are! Best, KB

Hi MissGeography, luckily I do not have this problem at my department, not so far anyhow (fingers crossed). However, I have worked with people like this, and my past PhD department was very similar: layers of petty intrigue and back stabbing, unfortunately. I reckon loads of departments are like this.

From what you've said it sounds as if this is very much about the academic in question, and very little about you as a person. If she's really making an effort to demoralize you or use you to score points off your sup, it might actually be time to have a quiet word with your head of department. I know this kind of back-biting is common among certain academics, but bullying students who are stuck in the middle is still terrible behaviour.

I'm lucky that due to having a very small department there's no room for this, but I've certainly seen it elsewhere. At my old uni the behaviour at seminars could be downright embarassing. Sorry you're stuck in the middle of this, try to remember it's not you and ignore her childish behaviour as best you can.

Yep, I had exactly the same - Professor in the department who didn't get on with my supervisor so wouldn't hesistate to pull apart my work (and his other PhD students' work) in seminars, despite knowing nothing about the area in the slightest. You just have to nod, smile, roll your eyes and not take it personally and understand that there are an awful lot of inflated egos in academia. It's probably got nothing to do with not liking you and more about her own sense of self importance.

Thanks guys- feel better about the whole thing :) Had a chat with my supervisor about it this morning too, he seems to have noticed and told me not to worry too much. :)

Hi there,
It's quite normal to have personality clash or conflict in a department. My PhD is part of this project, and I am constantly having problems with others in the project. I guess you get this everywhere you go really. So, head up and do your work...I found the best way is just ignore them, because there is no point to get wound up by them... :-)