This was published in the Chronical of highere education this morning:
Graduate Student at Arizona State U. Shoots Himself in Front of Professor
A graduate student apparently committed suicide in a professor's office at Arizona State University this morning, the university reported in a brief statement. Cmdr. James Hardina of the university Police Department told The Arizona Republic that the student apparently was talking with the professor when he pulled out a gun and shot himself. There was no further threat to the campus, he said.
What responsibility does the higher education system have to create a safe environment for students?
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Based on the definition you posted, I'd say that clearly professors CAN be bullies. Particularly in settings like grad school (esp. med and law school) the stakes are high for the student, and the traditional model puts the professors and thesis committee members in positions of considerable power. They may not always be subject to oversight or review, so they may not have to justify their actions, or even consider whether their actions are justifiable.
ReplyDeleteIf nothing else it seems like we (higher ed) should have ethical guidelines for the treatment of students (particularly grads), and avenues of recourse for students who feel bullied.
A separate thread I'd like to pursue is the extent to which the student's perception is at issue here. In sexual harassment situations the perception of the harassee is pretty critical in defining harassment. How do we know who feels bullied and who doesn't? Should we avoid all types of confrontational, argumentative or critical teaching?