What price victory? Ten times more than defeat

The huge costs that universities can incur fighting employment tribunal claims, even when the institution is vindicated by the result, have been highlighted by a case in Scotland.

The University of St Andrews spent more than £200,000 on legal fees successfully defending itself against a claim brought by a former lecturer - around 10 times the amount that it might have expected to pay in compensation had it lost the case.

The claim was lodged by Declan Quigley, who alleged that in 2002 he had been forced out of his job as a lecturer in social anthropology by a culture of bullying in his department.

He lost his claim for constructive dismissal in 2004, as well as a subsequent appeal.

A Freedom of Information request has now revealed that the university spent £204,000 on the case - far more than the lecturer could have expected to win.

Dr Quigley, who now practises alternative medicine in Barcelona, claimed that the university and its principal at the time, Brian Lang, had failed in their duty to protect him from what he said were intolerable working conditions.

However, the tribunal dismissed his case after hearing evidence that Dr Quigley had been determined to leave. He later brought an appeal on various points of law but these were thrown out by the Employment Appeals Tribunal following a hearing in 2006.

A spokeswoman for St Andrews said the university had "no option" but to defend the allegations made by Dr Quigley.

She said: "We have a commitment to act fairly with respect to all employees and to publicly establish the facts, especially where the reputation of an academic department is being attacked. In this instance, that responsibility came at considerable cost.

"We regret the cost. As a default, the university seeks to ensure that all its resources are focused on teaching and research. But in this case we are vindicated by the result."

Dr Quigley said that, had he won the case, the employment tribunal would have been unlikely to award him more than £20,000.

"I would have settled for much less than the £200,000-plus that the university ended up spending on its legal expenses," he said.

From: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk

Also check: Skorupski's Law

Please help me

Please help me. I have a principal who is nagging me although all my students are passing their classes. Her comments are that because I was raised Catholic I do not have to teach like I am in a catholic school. Another teacher makes fun of my accent and handwriting. I was born in Europe. The other teacher is American born, falsifies attendance records and yet nothing is done. What can be done? I need this job but it really annoys me to work with such an unethical group of people.

Anonymous

This cake is delectable

Reading Sarah Selecky's Giller-nominated collection of short stories This Cake is for The Party (Thomas Allen, 2010) is like spending an afternoon at Kalendar, catching up with a group of terribly interesting people, all about your/my age and level of education, all dealing with things you/I am/could be dealing with, and to all of whom you/I can relate. They (the stories and the people) are smart and funny and poignant. Selecky's language is not over-ornate but is a little rococco, a little decorated with swirls and arabesques, but so subtly you hardly notice.

My favourite stories in the collection are "Standing up for Janey," in which a young couple that shouldn't get married plans to get married, causing one maid of honour and one very suspicious ex-boyfriend to  come to terms with their own lost loves-- for each other, for the couple in question, and even for themselves--, and "Prognosis" a kind of open letter from a daughter-in-law to the mother of her husband, where apologies and tensions are worked out amongst a series of miracles (a mysterious crying ear and the visage of Virgin Mary in a supermarket apple) and academics ("the epistemological diversity of current Catholic theologins" (141)). All in all, a fast read, a very Canadian read (consider, in the story "Where are You Coming From, Sweethart?" these references: "The Big Smoke," "the Beer Store," "the CNE," "a guy who knew the Tragically Hip," "the bong-and-incense store on Queen Street," "Metric t-shirt," Fluevog Mary Janes," and to top it off, "a Roots bag"), and an incredibly enjoyable read.

Goes perfectly with a glass of Osoyoos LaRose.

Abused PhD candidate

As a dissertation editor hired by a PhD candidate who is being emotionally abused by her adviser, I've been googling "grad-student abuse" to find out more about this sickness. I'm appalled how little is being exposed about this, and almost nothing that's recent. It appears to me that this adviser is sabotaging the grad student's work in order to keep her under her thumb as long as possible. This adviser is isolating the student in order to emotionally abuse her, keeping her on the phone all hours of the day and night. She's even ordered the student not to have contact with me. I've APA-edited the paper perfectly and the adviser continues to undo my work and revert to previous versions randomly, so no one knows what's in it anymore. All the while insisting that the student have it done YESTERDAY... The student is about to have a breakdown and it seems there's nothing I can do to help her, since she needs that lunatic's signature in order to submit her paper. How do students keep from murdering their advisers who are certifiably insane?

Anonymous

Recommended reading

Niall Ferguson's The Ascent of Money
"In 2006, the British Financial Services Authority carried out a survey of public financial literacy which revealed...one [person] in ten did not know which was the better discount for a television originally priced at 250 pounds: 30 pounds or 10 per cent. As that example makes clear, the questions posed by the surveys were of the most basic nature. It seems reasonable to assume that only a handful of those polled would have been able to explain the difference between a 'put' and a 'call' option, for example, much less the difference between a CDO and a CDS" (14).

The book is like A Short History of Progress + Planet Money + having a meandering chat with Alex Dick from UBC's English Dept.

Definitely accessible and easy to get into, & he quotes Dante!

Disrespectful behaviors at U of I?

IOWA CITY — Complaints of disrespectful behavior to the University of Iowa Office of the Ombudsperson have increased steadily over the past four years, a trend university officials called disappointing and disturbing.

In presenting their annual report to the Faculty Council on Tuesday, two ombudsmen said 22 percent of their office’s visitors in 2009-10 came with complaints about disrespectful behavior. That’s up from 17 percent in 2008-09, 12 percent in 2007-08 and 8 percent in 2006-07.

That follows an alarming national trend showing workplaces in general are becoming more disrespectful, with incidents of bullying, yelling, swearing and shunning, staff ombudsman Cynthia Joyce said.

“It is a real concern to us,” she said.

Two years ago, the university office started tracking complaints of bullying, which falls under the category of disrespectful behavior. Explicit complaints about workplace bullying were made by 10 percent of visitors in both 2008-09 and 2009-10.

“The consequences can be very severe ... so we’re worried about that as well,” Joyce said.

Such behavior is a departmental culture issue that must be addressed at the level of each department, said Susan Johnson, the faculty ombudsman.

The office served an all-time high of 517 visitors in 2009-10, a 6 percent increase from the previous year. University staff make up the bulk of the visitors, at 48 percent, followed by 30 percent students and 17 percent faculty.

The increase in visitors could be because of better visibility of the office on campus, along with the belief that early intervention in conflicts is of value, officials said.

The largest area of concern and complaint for all visitor groups to the office stems from a supervisory relationship, such as with a boss or dean — or a faculty member, in the case of students.

The office also is seeing an growing number of situations in which information is posted on Facebook or some other social media site that begins or worsens a conflict. Some people have been fired after inappropriate Facebook postings, Johnson said.

From: http://www.omaha.com

Cindy Sherman, you give me a hard on

all the time. but also, when you and Balenciaga get together.

the over-listener strikes at YVR

I overheard (okay, am straining my ears) the following conversation at VYR:

First man, in chinos and long-sleeved MEC gortex shirt (paradoxical dressing?): "I always liked that pizza place on Edmonton Trail for their, you know, pizzas."
Second man, in suit and tie: "I like pizza."
1st man: "You know that place on Edmonton Trail?"
2nd man: "Yeah."
1st man: "I like their pizzas."

***
which wouldn't have be too weird, I've had similar conversations when I'm tired and not paying attention. But then they switch roles...
***

2nd man: "There's this place on Edmonton Trail, I think it closed down, they used to make the best pizzas."
1st man: "I know, right?"

***
& he didn't even sound incredulous, just in full on agreement mode. I think they were complete strangers.

Merrigan versus University of Gloucestershire (UK)

Nothing like good news to remind everybody of anti-bullying week (15-19 November 2010).

Summary

Kara Loraine represented a Claimant who alleged that because she was raising concerns about financial mismanagement at the university (protected disclosures), the senior management of the university tried to push her out of her job and when that failed she was sidelined from involvement in various projects.

The Tribunal upheld the complaints, finding that although the university had been supportive when the focus of the investigations/disclosures was on one individual Dean who had since left the university, the senior management’s attitude changed when the Claimant made disclosures that implicated others. In particular the Tribunal held that the Dean of the Business School had influenced others to form a negative view of the Claimant because of her disclosures and this was the reason for the attempt to remove her from her job and the sidelining, which were also found to be detriments.

The Claimant was awarded £6,000 for injury to feelings.

Unison Press Release:

UNISON helped a whistleblower win compensation from the University of Gloucestershire after she was sidelined for exposing suspected financial mismanagement.

The Business Development Manager at the University was asked by the University’s former Deputy Vice Chancellor, Paul Bowler, to look into the finances in June 2009. He had been hired to put together a financial recovery plan for the university, which is on the Higher Education and Funding Council for England’s “at risk” list.

After Mr Bowler left the university in November, the attitude of senior staff, including the Vice Chancellor, Head of Finance, Dean of the Business School and Director of Marketing within the university changed towards Mrs Merrigan.

She told the Tribunal that they had colluded against her to was move her off the work she was doing - the recovery plan and financial investigation were effectively suspended.

Bristol Employment Tribunal found yesterday (30 September) that the Dean of the Business School, who was implicated in Mrs Merrigan’s disclosures, influenced the University to take action against Mrs Merrigan.

As a result, the Business Development Manager had suffered at the hands of the University for disclosing information on financial problems and she was awarded compensation of £6,000 for injury to feelings.

From: http://www.oldsquare.co.uk

Also:

University of Gloucestershire whistleblower wins case

Gloucestershire University whistleblower wins industrial tribunal

University whistleblower who lifted lid on excessive spending on overseas travel wins tribunal

Doctrine of Affections

Okay so I google myself occasionally.

& for some reason, you can read my review of Doctrine of Affections on this strange website.

"I changed my mind about this book. After reading, in order, the first 10 of Headrick's 11 musically- themed short stories, I was lulled into feeling I had this writer figured out. Although each story occupies disparate moments in time and space - from a melancholic guitarist in Post-Napoleonic Paris to a jazz- loving Engineering student at UBC - each tale is shrouded in tonal sameness, evoking a similar- feeling longing for fidelity to a higher truth. But it was the last story, the one told by a version of the author himself, that shook me out of my stupor and made me pay attention...." Read more.

Then, if you're keen, you can check out Mr. Headrick's blog.

Behind the Times

I realize my blogging has been spotty at best. I take for granted that I am beholden to no one.

Some belated shout-outs are in order, however!! And here they are, in a list of THINGS YOU MUST DO WITH YOUR FIRDAY (it's mostly about buying books):

1. Feeling Expansive? Answer: The Journey Prize Anthology #22.

My amazing friend Andrew MacDonald has his short story "Eat Fist!" chosen for this year's shortlist. After reading it, I was chuffed to discover I had already read a portion of the story in manuscript form. How connected do I feel? Plus, the story is a truly Andrew-story: featuring a lesbian body-builder, Wonder Woman and poignant moments about Ukrainian heritage. Andrew was interviewed by the National Post, and he sounds very charming.

And then "Eat Fist!" won a Western Magazine Award for fiction. It's like dominoes of good feelings.


2. Need Relationship Advice in a time of War and Turmoil? Answer: The Mandarins by Simone De Beauvoir.

I was supposed to bring Simone home to Calgary for a friend abroad because her suitcases are too heavy. Instead, I brought her to Vancouver and my bedside table.

3. Feeling Indie? Answer: magazine, Broken Pencil #49 


In which I wrote a lil' book review (I'm proud, I'll admit it) of Paul Headrick's Doctrine of Affections, and in which resides other work by contributors I adore: Andrew (he's ubiquitous these days), Spencer Gordon and Matt Loney.

There is also a review of The Sentimentalists by Johanna Skibsrud, which, if you have been paying attention, just won the Giller. It's so interesting to read a review that was written before the hype. In it, reviewer Kris Rothstein is by no means won over by the book-- Rothstein writes "The Sentimentalists is a thoughtful, gentle novel, and while it fails to deliver a strong narrative, its careful prose demands attention." Well, attention it received-- and when I first saw the review, I thought (evilly) that this is a one of those moments of hindsight where you wish you'd written, "this book should win the Giller!" just so you can grin maniacally when it does. But, the review is in fact better in every way because it was written pre-hype. I have not read the book (yet), so I remain conflicted about what the Giller's effect on my own reading will be.

"Johanna Skibsrud is the winner of the 2010 Scotiabank Giller Prize honouring the best in Canadian literature.

Her voice quavering, the 30-year-old Nova Scotian thanked her publisher Gaspereau Press, which brought out the book in a tiny edition of a few hundred copies."

--stolen from the Nat'l Post.

Suffice to say, I haven't read any of them, because I have been writing a massive and still not exhaustive bibliography...but that is no excuse... I will, I promise! Congrats to Johanna and to Gaspereau.

How could the French let us down??

In a post related to this post by Ish, this is what happens in France when you decide that people should work a little harder, for a little longer:

& this is what Mr. Sarkozeee has to say about it:

Related events:

drinking a bottle of gewurztraminer; waking up at 5am