Academic Workplace Bullying
There are several publications reporting on scientific studies addressing the growing problem of workplace bullying in the academic environment. Workplace bullying is defined by the Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) as "repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators". WBI further elaborates, descibing it as abusive conduct that is threatening, humiliating, or intimidating, and may involve work interference or verbal abuse. Its effects can be catastrophic for the victims, taking extraordinary tolls on psychological and physical health and requiring huge financial resources to fight against it. The real costs of fighting against this heinous victimization go far beyond the financial burdens.
Workplace bullying can involve a single empowered individual, a group of collaborating individuals, or it can be institutional in nature. As an example of institutional bullying, one only need look as far as the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Remember how the wagons were circled around Dean Robert Felner, who ended up serving time in federal prison? In that case, there had been roughly 30 formal compaints and grievances filed againt that dean, and yet the university administrators, includnig the Provost and President, backed him up and effectively disregarded the complaints. Why? Well, part of the answer comes when one follows the money. < more>.
When the Administration Fails, Everyone Loses
Remember this short interview "Anonymous crap" published by Page One Kentucky? It really says about as much as anyone could say in two minutes about the way the University of Louisville operates. Unfortunately, and all too often, universities don't follow their own rules and policies. When that happens, the faculty and students are likely to come out on the short end, having their fundamental rights violated. The alternatives available to those victims are limited mainly to trying to fight, against all odds, to achieve a short-game victory or simply to leave and go elsewhere. Unfortunately, fighting may be too expensive, in many ways, and leaving may not be a viable option either. In any event, the victim's fundamental liberty rights are violated, with often permanent harms, and the very fabric of education is negatively impacted. Moreover, the perpetrators are usually left to continue doing harm to the same or other victims, even being empowered to do so. Felner was a case in point. This is why legislative solutions are needed to prevent and deal with academic workplace bullying.
