Handling Conflict between 2 PhD Students

[sambaprof]

I am a tenured faculty member in a research university and supervise student research towards their thesis and dissertation. These students also serve as Graduate assistants on the funded projects. Following is the email I got from a PhD student about another PhD student. Please advise how to resolve it....

[letter snipped]

[Puget]

This is not a "conflict between 2 PhD student", this is a student alleging they have been the target of systematic and prolonged harassment based on their gender and race by another student.

This is very serious -- go talk with your student, offer support, and then go talk with your DGS and chair right away and get whatever your university's specified process for dealing with such allegations is.

If you are in the US, then you almost certainly are going to need to report this to the university Title 9 office (as in, it would be illegal now that you have been told it is happening for you not to report it), since the student is alleging they are being targeted due to their membership in protected classes (gender and race). You should also support your student through filing their own report.

I would not talk on your own with the accused student at this point.Let that play out through the official channels so there can be no question that he gets due process, and to avoid escalating the situation in ways that may harm the reporting student. But you MUST protect the reporting student immediately.

I don't know you, and don't want to prematurely judge, but I'd encourage you to think about how things could have gotten to this point in your lab without you noticing (where were you during those lab meetings?), or worse, noticing and not stepping in earlier, and without the reporting student feeling comfortable talking to you about it until she reached her breaking point.

[sinenomine]

I agree with Puget. My (US) institution requires supervisors to report any workplace bullying/harassment to Human Resources. This needs to be handled appropriately and firmly.

[Langue_doc]

What Puget and sinenomine said. This is not a conflict but rather harassment and what appears to be a very hostile work environment.

I would also ask the moderators to delete the letter as it can identify both students as well yourself.

[Sun_Worshiper]

HR

[sambaprof]

What Puget and sinenomine said. This is not a conflict but rather harassment and what appears to be a very hostile work environment.

I would also ask the moderators to delete the letter as it can identify both students as well yourself.

Hello Moderators... Could you please remove the thread or remove the contents of the email/letter.

[sambaprof]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions on next steps. Appreciate your input.

[Parasaurolophus]

I am a tenured faculty member in a research university and supervise student research towards their thesis and dissertation. These students also serve as Graduate assistants on the funded projects. Following is the email I got from a PhD student about another PhD student. Please advise how to resolve it....

[letter snipped]

[Parasaurolophus]

I've snipped out the letter.