Hi,
You must all think I've lost it but my only regret is not sending them to the cleaners earlier. Just had enough of their bullying over the past 3 and half years. Anyway, matter is now in the hands of the university complaints officer. 2 new supervisors have agreed to take over the last lap of the thesis. So, it all hangs on the investigation of the university complaints officer. Hope they will uphold my complaint because the next step is the IOA. Wish me luck chaps. The whole thing sucks!

Wow! I applaud your strength - that can't have been an easy decision to make and to get to that stage and go through with complaints you must have had a sh*tty time. I wish you luck in completing your work.

PS. what's tha IOA - appeals? [blushes with ignorance!]

Thanks! It was a 'post it'sticker that did it! I think both supervisors thought they were above the law. Well, stuff the PhD and all the big boys can pull together but no one is above the law. Like I said, I hope the university will not let me down, otherwise, the Independent Adjudicator Officer will be involved. If it comes to that, I will make sure that the student papers, my MP and the local press will get to know of it. I did not come to this decision lightly- poor academic support, I can heck it but BULLYING? nope, the buck stops there. Scandalous, really. They should pick on their own academic fellows and leave the novices alone.

Crack on. If you don't stick up for yourself noone else will. Don't back down!! Got any witnesses?

Gongrads
I wish i had your strength. Im being bullied ever since i started my PhD. I only reported this to counselor and i was told that i should do something or he will. Unfortunately i haven't done anything...or i did i now take antidepressants to help me stand on my feet...
I really want to change supervisor but i don't whana through away all the work "done" .
Having this communication prob and being bullied for so many months it really drives me crazy. But....

Good work, hope it works out. I've known supervisors like that in my time.

Can't wait to read about all the sordid details when you get around to writing your autobiography.

Yep! One who was bullied and left after a failed upgrade. Another filed a complaint - identical reasons. Third one was a member of staff. You're right! If I don't stand up for myself, I am just stitching myself up for the future bullies. I am prepared to put the PhD on hold and sock them in the jaw. The days for bullying PhD students are numbered. Afterall, its only a PhD! Integrity and self esteem is priceless. (I'm starting to sound like a TV advert!)

Well, matey, I would advise you to stop the antidepressants. Its just symptomatic treatment. Sack the buggers! The uni is responsible for your well being. The QAA should read this forum. Doing a PhD is not about getting the title - it a test of your strength of character, definitely not for the faint hearted. If you don't report these incumbent academics, they will think that its their right to bully others! Ditch the pills and give them your piece of mind. You will be surprise how many people are behind you. Go on! This is what this forum is for - to encourage one another to be heros, not academic cowards. BTW, my advisor from the student's union thinks that most academics choose the profession so that they can have a go at students. I think it is not far from the truth. What do you think?

This is the best post I have ever read on this forum.

I wish more PhD students were willing to fight for their rights and not put up with sh*tty treatment from supervisors. Hairui, you are a bigger and better person for doing this and I applaud your courage and desire to take action.

This sort of behaviour has to stop, and the more people that go to higher authorities and kick up a stink, means its more likely people in the future won't have to be party to abuse.

With regard to your theory, I reckon academics behave badly BECAUSE they didnt stand up to the crap they recieved earlier down the food chain. Perhaps if they had taken action like you have, they wouldnt need to make themselves feel better by being bullying and abusive.

In any case, do keep us posted with your progress, and hopefully you will take these jokers to the cleaners.

I ditch my well paid job to engage in intellectual discourse and yes, you guessed it - Knock, knock and surprise, surprise no one was home! They had nothing in between their ears! Also, they should not have taken me on as the department did not have the expertise to supervise my study which was conducted in Chinese! My first degree is in Chinese studies and I am a free lance interpreter. I think they were very greedy and ambitious to take on a cross-cultural study but they don't have what it takes. Hey, what about some of us getting together to write a book on " The PhD from Hell: I survived it!" Sounds like a cool title. Any takers??

Um, 'scuse me pleeeese if this sounds like a naff comment- it's not meant to be. it's more a reflection on my experience of this site so far. And this is a kinda observation. I think you might find it naff because everyone else has noticed it ages ago!! But anyway, it seems that international students (for whom english may not be their first language, and /or do not have a family base in the uk)seem to have more problems with being bullied than 'native' students. of course this can't be representative of international students as a whole but it surely must indicate something? ie. non permenant -Uk students studying for a PhD are facing more of an uphill struggle than they should do because of what amounts to racism by supervisors (or possibly lab mates, thinking about another recent thread). Does anyone else feel this?

I wasn't going to reply to this thread, having nothing useful to say, but our new kitten has just walked across the keyboard and produced a reply page. Now I can't remember what the thread is about (long day...they should ban half term..) Will go back and read the thread again. cat now on the floor.

Oh, that's the cats fault!!! (blame it on anything really!!) he (honestly) managed to scroll down to a totally un-related message..get off fluffy!...

Well Manda, I am a student from the EU but English is a first language for me. I still got mercilessly bullied by the post-doc in our lab, that too the form of my work/contribution being shot down all the time, being excluded from learning new technical skills, rumour spreading and so forth. This person in question often ranted about immigration and foreigners in the UK a la Daily Mail. I am not sure if it was down to simple antipathy towards me or because I tend to be reserved, but the rants sure made me question the possibility that the retribution was down to bigotry. I am not sure whether such experiences are representative, but I get the feeling that it's not a UK thing, it's more down to the individuals you (might have the misfortune) to end up working with.