industrial espionage

[Brego]

Tenure-track faculty here.  Just found out that a former MA student has been talking about me behind my back - claiming I have "favorites," telling other students to avoid me and my classes, and so on.  And I was wondering why so few students sought me out. . .

Said student was dead weight in the MA program - took four years to complete a two-year MA track, had multiple incompletes, bragged about being in graduate school for the assistantship alone, rarely contributed in seminars, tried to get away with writing a thesis that fell short of department page-length requirements by 50%.  This student dropped me like a rock when I was hospitalized on an emergency basis; instead of trusting that I would continue to work with them, they lied and told the graduate studies director that I didn't respond to their emails (false), had been hard on them and unfairly so (also false).  The student then lied again to the graduate studies director and told them that I had agreed to stop being their advisor.  Patently false.  The student never broached the subject with me.  They simply switched advisors.

Now I discover that they have been trash-talking me to our new grad students.  Apparently their opinion of me - that I am harsh, too rigorous, cruel, etc., - has made the rounds.  One student was heard to say, "I'd work with Dr. Brego but I think it would crush my soul." 

Meanwhile, the few students I do advise tell me that they love me.  I work closely with them, am caring and tough, have sat patiently while many tears have been shed in my office and at my home. 

The idea that I am "difficult" gained traction with my faculty colleagues some time ago.  Despite doing everything I can to be likable, approachable, more feminine, more nurturing, and so on, I'm not getting anywhere.  Sometimes I suspect the fact that I'm a butch woman of color has something to do with the sobriquets assigned to me.

Other faculty colleagues have openly belittled our graduate students, made them weep in class, assigned crushing workloads, graded papers entirely free of feedback or comments, and acted in openly bigoted and racist ways.  Yet those white colleagues do not appear to be reprimanded as I am.

Not sure what to do about any of this.  I hope that it is not all in my head.  Thanks as always for your help, all. 

[Parasaurolophus]

It's not all in your head!

You already know this, but that sort of chatter is common among grad students, and women are definitely afforded less leeway than men (plus the default expectation is they'll carefully manage your feelings while the bearded ones get to show their mettle by crushing you). It's unusual for a single person's experience to carry that much weight, but presumably their influence won't last much beyond their departure.

In the meantime, it seems to me you just have to rely on your current students to get the word out about how great you actually are. Perhaps one thing you could try, if you haven't already, is to make a point to contact the students who impressed you in your courses, at the end of the semester, and to send them a short note observing that their work impressed you. After all, how could Dr. Brego be so awful when she noticed how great I am?

Is any aspect of your performance or promotion dependent on having and graduating Master's students?

[jerseyjay]

I am sorry that this is happening to you. Just some random thoughts.

(1) It sounds that you are better off without this MA student. They seem like an albatross and a time-sink. And you don't have to worry about writing letters of recommendation for this person. So I personally would be happy to have been freed from them, even if it was in a manner that was not optimal.

(2) Graduate students always talk amongst themselves. In fact, they should talk amongst themselves. If this person was as much as a deadweight and dead-end student as you indicate, my guess is that other students know this and take their opinion with a grain of salt. Since you indicate that your other students like you, presumably they also talk and let others know that you are a good advisor.

(3) Your colleagues think you are "difficult" probably is not due to your former students' talk but other factors (disputes over approach; sexism; racism, etc). Personally I would be more worried about your colleagues' views than your former students, since your colleagues will probably be voting on your tenure and MA students's gossip has a shorter half-life then tenured faculty's. I am not sure what to suggest, especially if, as you indicate, your colleagues' opinion of you reflects their own prejudices as much or more than it does your own professional performance. I guess I would say to publish and be as solid a tenure case as possible so that it is hard to deny you tenure no matter what. On a personal level, the way you describe your colleagues does not make me think you are missing out on much in terms of their friendship.

(4) You use the word "reprimand". Have you been officially reprimanded for something? This is more serious than just a personality clash.

(5) I am not sure I understand the reference to industrial espionage. (Part of my speciality is labor history, so that's why I opened this thread.)

[ciao_yall]

It's not all in your head!

You already know this, but that sort of chatter is common among grad students, and women are definitely afforded less leeway than men (plus the default expectation is they'll carefully manage your feelings while the bearded ones get to show their mettle by crushing you). It's unusual for a single person's experience to carry that much weight, but presumably their influence won't last much beyond their departure.

In the meantime, it seems to me you just have to rely on your current students to get the word out about how great you actually are. Perhaps one thing you could try, if you haven't already, is to make a point to contact the students who impressed you in your courses, at the end of the semester, and to send them a short note observing that their work impressed you. After all, how could Dr. Brego be so awful when she noticed how great I am?

Is any aspect of your performance or promotion dependent on having and graduating Master's students?

This. In fact, for all your students, even ones who had a rough time, point out something that you admired about them and their work.

[Brego]

Thanks, all.

Come to find out this student has been causing a great deal of trouble, to include academic misconduct.  I warned people about this possibility some time ago but was ignored. 

As for end-of-term compliments to students, I'm already doing that, and a great deal of mentoring besides.  As for solid tenure cases, they appear not to matter here when administrators have torpedoed people at will.  No point in worrying about it.  I wouldn't be the first woman of color pushed out of the academy.  If current assaults on higher education continue, I'll be happy to leave. 

Thanks again.

[mamselle]

Just seeing this.

I'm also sorry to hear of it, and recognize the whisper-campaign stuff as real.

Please do whatever helps you take care of yourself, whatever happens.

We can't control others, or what they say, or do, or think.

All we can control is how we respond, what we do and say, and how we take what happens.

Be kind to yourself, and surround yourself with kindness in whatever ways that is possible for you.

M.

[mahagonny]

Is it possible you are too tough?

[mleok]

I guess the question is what kind of standards are you applying to your MA students? Keep in mind that if you have a PhD from an elite program, and you're currently teaching at a MA level institution, then it is almost certainly the case that your students will not be as motivated, academically prepared, and driven as you were as a student. This recalibration of expectations is something that most of us have had to deal with to some extent.

[mahagonny]

Yes, that's the question.

[arcturus]

It is entirely possible that the OP is being too tough on her students. It is also entirely possible that the OP *is not being tough enough* on her students. Either way is bad for the students. The issue here, however, is that the OP is concerned (rightly) that there is a whisper campaign that could undermine her ability to do her job effectively. Unfortunately, there is no good solution to a whisper campaign, other than time - as students graduate and leave, the rumors are likely to fade too.

OP - I hear your concerns about how others perceive you. While some introspection is good, it is important to maintain your own integrity and continue to do your job as best benefits your students. One point I might raise (and please forgive me if this does not apply to you) is that those in the majority often bristle at the apparent success of those in the minority (gender/race/etc) in ways that they would not for a white male junior colleague. I have found that I can celebrate the success *of my students* more easily than I can my own accomplishments within my department. Thus, one way to counter the rumors is to start (and contribute regularly to) a department web page that celebrates the accomplishments of the students: publications, conferences, awards, faculty grants that support students, etc. Steady contributions to such a page will lead to inferences such as: "Dr. Brego's students seem to go to conferences a lot." "Dr. Brego's students are regularly getting local awards." "Dr. Brego's students are landing good jobs when they graduate." This will not end the mis-perceptions, but may help you recruit good students for your research group.

[mahagonny]

One point I might raise (and please forgive me if this does not apply to you) is that those in the majority often bristle at the apparent success of those in the minority (gender/race/etc) in ways that they would not for a white male junior colleague.

You draw this conclusion how?

[arcturus]

One point I might raise (and please forgive me if this does not apply to you) is that those in the majority often bristle at the apparent success of those in the minority (gender/race/etc) in ways that they would not for a white male junior colleague.

You draw this conclusion how?

From real-world (first hand) experience.

[mahagonny]

One point I might raise (and please forgive me if this does not apply to you) is that those in the majority often bristle at the apparent success of those in the minority (gender/race/etc) in ways that they would not for a white male junior colleague.

You draw this conclusion how?

From real-world (first hand) experience.

My experience says it doesn't work that way. In my locale white men go the extra mile to show pleasure over the success of a minority colleague.

[mahagonny]

Sorry to hear your experience around white men in the academy has not been more positive, Arcturus.

[Mobius]

When people say they are unfairly being depicted as difficult, but then write posts like these, I have to SMH at times. Perception is everything. I would perceive you could be "difficult" based on your tone in this post.

Tenure-track faculty here.  Just found out that a former MA student has been talking about me behind my back - claiming I have "favorites," telling other students to avoid me and my classes, and so on.  And I was wondering why so few students sought me out. . .

Said student was dead weight in the MA program - took four years to complete a two-year MA track, had multiple incompletes, bragged about being in graduate school for the assistantship alone, rarely contributed in seminars, tried to get away with writing a thesis that fell short of department page-length requirements by 50%.  This student dropped me like a rock when I was hospitalized on an emergency basis; instead of trusting that I would continue to work with them, they lied and told the graduate studies director that I didn't respond to their emails (false), had been hard on them and unfairly so (also false).  The student then lied again to the graduate studies director and told them that I had agreed to stop being their advisor.  Patently false.  The student never broached the subject with me.  They simply switched advisors.

Now I discover that they have been trash-talking me to our new grad students.  Apparently their opinion of me - that I am harsh, too rigorous, cruel, etc., - has made the rounds.  One student was heard to say, "I'd work with Dr. Brego but I think it would crush my soul." 

Meanwhile, the few students I do advise tell me that they love me.  I work closely with them, am caring and tough, have sat patiently while many tears have been shed in my office and at my home. 

The idea that I am "difficult" gained traction with my faculty colleagues some time ago.  Despite doing everything I can to be likable, approachable, more feminine, more nurturing, and so on, I'm not getting anywhere.  Sometimes I suspect the fact that I'm a butch woman of color has something to do with the sobriquets assigned to me.

Other faculty colleagues have openly belittled our graduate students, made them weep in class, assigned crushing workloads, graded papers entirely free of feedback or comments, and acted in openly bigoted and racist ways.  Yet those white colleagues do not appear to be reprimanded as I am.

Not sure what to do about any of this.  I hope that it is not all in my head.  Thanks as always for your help, all.