In case anyone has been wondering about the latest exploits of my most trollish colleague (see previous posts), he has in fact been as malignant as ever. Most recently, he complained about my teaching to the TA for one of my courses. The TA is one of my grad students. My colleague told my student that I do not teach the right things in my class. We are not to worry our little heads about teaching this important material, however, because he has taken matters into his own hands and is teaching the students what they need to know. I am now free to babble on about whatever it is I seem to think students should know instead of the important material.
My student was very upset by this encounter and didn't know how to respond -- defend the course and argue with a senior professor and (soon to be ex-) thesis committee member? Professor Troll's lack of professional behavior put my student in a very difficult position, and my student was shaking with anger when relating the incident to me today.
I have not been able to find my colleague yet to discuss this with him directly, but I shall discuss this with him. My words will have no effect on him whatsoever and he will use the opportunity to further denigrate me, but I think he should know what I think of his unprofessional behavior. He has not hesitated to insult me directly before, so it is quite unnecessary for him to involve students.
2 weeks ago
12 comments:
Argh, that's all I can say is argh...
First he is being an idiot to you. But you can go read him the riot act. I'm sure you plan to complain to your department chair.
What disturbs me even more, though, is dragging students into this. Life is going to be tough enough for them without having to experience this kind of crap.
When I was a grad student, to the credit of my department, faculty kept their little wars to themselves. We had no idea. Since that time I have learned a lot about what went on. But to their credit, the faculty kept their little wars private and did not drag in graduate students.
This is the way it should be.
Sorry to rant,
Bonzo
This is by far the worst I have heard so far abut Prof. Troll. Dragging students into his agenda against you is totally unprofessional (not that all the other stories you have told aren't). I hope you get to kick his metaphorical ass some day.
wow. I think confronting him is the right thing, but it seems you have done that before with no results. Would it be possible to do it with someone else as witness/mediator, to prevent Prof. Troll from weaseling his way out of his absolutely unacceptable behavior? Or would that be seen as a show of weakness in your part? There must be a way you could do it in a more-or-less casual way, without making it plain that the other person is there was a reality check.
These Dr T stories are great. Academia seems to provide a protective environment where certain kinds of dysfunctional personalities can survive and even thrive. In grad school I had a run in not totally dissimilar to the one you describe, and it still pisses me off when I think about it.
Yikes! What a jerk! Or to borrow a great phrase from a previous poster: what a "spherical bastard"! It sounds like you've got to go to the dept. chair on this one, because a student was involved and profs. have to protect students from this kind of treatment. Is there any chance you could have a three-way meeting with the Troll and the Chair? He keeps criticizing your teaching, so could you have a meeting where you express concern about his criticisms and ask him to be specific about what he has a problem with? I assume he would back down if forced to air his grievances in front of an authority, but maybe he really does need to get something off his chest. At any rate, you would have taken a necessary step on the way to your own future filing of a grievance -- he's clearly creating a hostile work environment, which is against most universities' policies.
Isn't there anyone else in the department you can get involved?
It's more than a bit absurd that you (or anyone else) should have to put up with this guy.
I think "troll" is too kind.
Sigh. Professor Troll thinks it is his duty to Educate The World in the Wayes of Olde, eh?
Not to be cynical or whatever, but it's probably good for your student to know these guys are out there and they're not all dead yet.
I'm always astounded at how people manage to shield their grad students for years from this kind of stuff. News flash- you're not doing them any favors pretending like reality in academia is a walk in a park with paths lined with rose petals!
Your student needs to develop thicker skin, if not a spine, even while you go and give Troll a piece of your safely tenured mind.
He already exemplifies a certain hardening of the epidermis peculiar to his species, so I'm sure you're right that he won't care what you say, but at least you can say you tried.
It's too bad that no one else in the department has done anything about this - it's appalling.
I have made this comment before: if I were you I would start seriously fighting back. This guy needs to be put back in his place; if you don't want to do it for yourself, do it for the many others whom he my be harassing.
You have an excellent opportunity, given the fact that he made the comment that he made to the student, of filing a formal complaint. I think it's now high time, if you don't stand up to the bully, the bully does not let go, he will keep coming back for more.
I just started reading your blog, and I thought I was the only one with a "Professor Troll" in my department. I have a colleague who continually asks my students for copies of my notes, tests and assignments, then he criticizes them to the students. Several students have approached me and expressed that this behavior upsets them, but I am at a loss as to how to deal with him. I'm hoping you post your response to this incident and I might try a similar approach.
BTW, I am nontenured and "Professor Troll" is tenured.
Somebody else might have mentioned this in response to an earlier post, but I'll say it anyway: a good source of help is the university ombudsperson. Often the women's center will also have people who can advise, but the ombudsperson is the official mediator. This would especially be a good idea for female bio prof who is untenured. We really do not have to put up with this crap, even when our own dept. heads are unsympathetic.
Post a Comment