Day: January 27, 2012

Bullying is not done exclusively in high schools. It has progressed to our colleges and universities. It has a slightly different name, it is called Workplace Bullying. No, it is not accepted as a legal issue where employees have access to processes to address their concerns. It may go on everyday in Washington state colleges and universities, often detected only by those employees who suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as a result of this behavior. It is the same condition battered women experience in domestic violence incidents.

 As Harriet Swain in Workplace Bullying, being bullied at work is often subtle but persistent. He states, most academics do not realize what is happening until their health suffers or they have gone through disciplinary procedures. Are academics protected by unions and/or institutional policies that advocate for a hostile free environment? The testimony by an Olympic College academic and or employee on January 17, 2012 before the senate (Olympia, WA) was quite revealing. The statement was made that there was no action taken on the complaint the employee made. I wonder if the unions protect academics or maybe just full-time academics? I have yet to find the answer to this.

In a blog, Bullying of Academics in High Education, the author writes, “…The bullying of academics follows a pattern of horrendous, Orwellian elimination rituals, often hidden from the public. Despite the anti-bullying policies (often  token), bullying is rife across campuses, and the victims (targets) often pay a heavy price. “Nothing strengthens authority as much as silence.” Leonardo da Vinci – “All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men [or good women] do nothing.” Winston Churchill.” If academics do not recognize bullying in their workplace, they most probably are blind to it in the classroom or in virtual classrooms. Even worse is the idea that student employees working for the college or university in question may see this behavior in their role models at their place of work.

In a scholarly article, Faculty Experiences with Bullying in Higher Education, written by Loraleigh Keashly & Joel H. Neuman, the authors state, if someone wants to harm a student, academic or other employee obstructive behavior is one of the many responses. By impeding access to training and resources they can effectively impede the progress of the academic or student. The article continues to say, workplace aggression (even subtle aggression), bullying and mobbing are part of the academic landscape and can hinder institutional goals. They urge the academics in institutions to continue their research in this area of study. I would like to hope anyone reading this blog seriously considers the strength of their conclusions.

In the blog spot called the Work Doctor, the authors write that colleges are bully prone institutions.”The strong egos of academics and scientists coupled with hierarchical opportunities to crush new colleagues as well as a general acceptance of mistreatment for non-academic staff are all to blame.” I encourage anyone working in academia to read this blog site and heed the message. Robert Sutton’s #^%@$%@# seem to abound in these institutions of higher learning according to the material on the internet and in books on the subject. I have to admit, I am a bit concerned and most probably should be. The bottom line reads the faint of heart need not apply.