======= Date Modified 21 Apr 2012 11:42:33 =======
Hi plantgeek13
Have to say, I was as confused and helpless as you. I may not give you very much advice but share my experience with you.
My supervisor did the same or even worse. He literally jumped up and down and shouted and through my thesis to me in his office. Verbal abusing and threaten happened almost every meeting during my writing up. And he even created something never happened to abuse me and said if I tell anyone, he would fail me. He asked me stay as his posdoc but I refused. Then after several failure of work application (I went to interview, they were all happy with my work and myself, but I was refused in the end), one day, he got angry again by something i even do not remember, he shouted at me said he would never even give me a good reference and a foreign student like me would never find a job in this country.
I was so confused and did not know where went wrong. It was only two month to my deadline of submission. I did not think I could make it if he kept doing so. Then I told myself I cannot take this anymore then I went to talk with some adviser in the Uni and was told to bridge with him then if not work, tell the PG tutor or Head. Then I went directly to the PG tutor. PG tutor then talked with my supervisor. He become even angry, you know. …Jumping up and down while shouting those bitter words towards me. Then I went to the head and asked for changing supervisor or a third person who will present all the time during the meeting of my supervisor and me. Then the department held an investigation and forbidden him to access me. Then I got my peace back. I wrote up at home and got feedback from my supervisor via pass my drafts to the third person. Then I submitted on time. Then I passed my viva without correction. I got 3 job offers without his reference. Now I am a posdoc in a very good university.
I hope my experience will be useful to you. If you can bridge with your supervisor would be the best, if you cannot, do remember to gather some evidence then go to talk with the Head of Department. At that time, i did not gather enough evidence then the department choose to believe what I said but cannot set him on some regulations due to lack of evidences.
Wish you finish on time and find the life you want soon,
Furun