I've just finished my first year at uni.
I made a formal complaint against my bullying supervisor after going through informal channels initially. A colleague of my supervisor then conducted the (biased) investigation and conluded it unfounded. I was pressurised into submitting my 1st year report under tight deadlines even though I was under pressure due to the ongoing complaint process. They allowed my supervisor who I complained against for bullying to submit marks in my 1st year progress (Viva), and the examiners reccommended termination.

My gutless colleagues took the side of my supervisor during the bullying investigation. I now have to appeal the original complaint and also go through the appeals process for my failed report. The Dept. that I am a member of simply victmises students for making a complaint. You are not treated with any respect. Academics simply close ranks and agree to get rid of the complainant. I would not be surprised if this sort of treatment is endemic within higher education in the UK.

Any similar experiences by anyone?

The bullying involved threats that I should quit my PhD and other behaviour that I would regard as being unacceptable.

They claimed that my complant was unfounded as they said there was no direct evidence to support my allegations. However, I provided an account with dates, times and details of the behaviour, but they never detailed my supervisor's response to the allegations. This is a tactic that I guess is used often to avoid making the bully answer for their actions and to protect the bully. By not giving the bully's response to the allegations, I am not provided with sufficient information with which to base an appeal.

Hi, so sorry to hear of your situation. How long has the bullying been going on? Was there a certain point at which your supervisor changed towards you? Did he/she resent sosmething you said/did?
I'm assuming you felt OK with them at the very beginning? Can you identify the point at which it all changed? were there any other people you confided in about this point of change?

Is it possible to get help outside your dept? Not sure how it works at other universities, but at mine, the first place to complain is within the dept, but if that doesn't help, we can complain outside the dept to a group that oversees all postgraduate students. They might be more less likely to take sides because they don't know you or your supervisor. Good luck.

I would raise this with the next level up - depending on your uni, this may be faculty level?

Sorry to hear that. It sounds awful. We have a student support service at our university which is supposed to help sort out any disputes. Maybe your university has something similar? Would it also not be possible to change supervisors if they are treating you like this? I hope you get it sorted.

Have you tried your Students Union?

what are you hoping to get out of all this? You don't *have* to appeal against the result of the orginal complaint. this isnt a comment about the rights and wrongs of your situation, but what were you hoping to get out of a complaint, what are you hoping to achieve by pursuing it?

Hi there, thankyou for your reply. What I want to get out of the complaint is that the University right the wrongs that they have allowed to occur, and put me in a position to continue my studies in a working environment that doesn't allow bullying and harassment to occur. The University have a bullying and harassment policy, which I feel they have not followed. I've also just been informed that the Dept. have removed all my personal possessions from my office and dumped them at the security desk. Does anyone else think that this is inhumane and degrading treatment? I know I do. If Universities cannot stick to their own policies then what chance have students got. A recent annual report by the Office of the Independent adjudicator and report produced by the National Postgraduate council (Complaints in Practice - Complaints in Crisis) clearly shows that Uni's don't follow their policies and have a lack of natural justice. This is not a good situation.

Up until July (when the complaint became formal), I had recorded a events that occurred during weekly meetings with my supervisor.

These included instances of threatening me that I should simply quit my PhD (she didn't seem to like it when I expressed my own opinion), and yelling at me that she was "in control", and I should do "as I am told". She also lost her temper on several occassions over other trivial issues, such as my reluctance to approach her for help (she was unnaproachable/hostile/defensive at times).

After attempts to obtain informal resolutions a formal investigation was conducted, and the result was that my complaint was unfounded. There were hints of a counter-investigation. The investigator didn't even provide my supervisor's response to the events I reported in my complaint. I should mention that the investigator is a close colleague of my supervisor.

The Uni have stated that they "removed my belongings" to make it easier for me to collect them!

Hi all,

I should also say that there was a point when I thought that I was imagining how bad things were, and that I was simply exaggerating things in my own head. Now, I know I was not, as I have more support now.

But, I have read some of the reports that I have mentioned in this thread NPC and OIA reports), and this sort of treatment, is definately not uncommon. It happens all the time.

Ophiucus,

Have you sought any legal advice on this. You don't necessarily need to go to a solicitor - there are many free legal advice centres and Citizens Advice are usually quite good when you need to know what your rights are. I think something like that could really help you find out exactly where you stand and what you can do.

Hope it all works out.

Keith

Ophiucus, so you would like to end up back studying for your PhD with the same supervisor? I'm just wondering why you havent looked into changing supervisors/departments/institutions if it is that bad. Cos even if your supervisor does end up getting a slap on the wrist, it's not going to change their personality. I mean I applaud your attempts to fight 'the system', but I can't help thinking that you are setting yourself up to be a sacraficial lamb

Hi thanks for your reply, can you explain a bit more about what you mean by a sacrificial lamb?

I think aliby is right. Find a new supervisor.