Academic Bullying

1. The Big Bad Bully:
Academic Bullying in Higher Education
Christine L. Crawford
Final Paper
Spring 2012

2. Discussion Points
 Academic bullying is a common, yet rarely
discussed topic
 What is Academic Bullying
 The academy and certain cultures of the
academy support and even nurture the
academic bully culture
 Certain leadership styles are more prone
toward bullying
 Characteristics of an academic bully
 What academic leaders can do combat the
bully culture

3. Bullying in Higher Education; I thought
that only happened in K-12
 Academic bullying is not a new phenomenon,
but no one wants to talk about it. Why?
 Academic bullying can present in many ways.
Know the signs!
 The affects of academic bullying in higher
education are no different than traditional
bullying.

4. The Six Cultures of the Academy; Where
Bullies are Born and Raised
 Culture: A set of shared attitudes, values, goals
and practices that characterize and institution or
organization
 Berquist & Pawlak’ s “Six Cultures of the
Academy”
 How it all works together

5. The Collegial Culture
 Discipline centered and oriented
 Research, scholarship and quasi-political
governance processes
 Faculty autonomy
 Most prominent culture; large research institutions
 University of Pittsburgh falls into this category
 High likelihood to harbor bullies

6. Managerial Culture
 Organization, implementation, and evaluation
are key
 Work is directed toward specific goals
 Prudence and responsibility are at the core
 Two year schools and trade schools
 Low likelihood of academic bullying

7. Developmental Culture
 Creation of programs furthering personal and
professional growth of all members
 Maturation is a the core
 Concerned with less tangible aspects of human
growth
 Faculty development, institutional research,
organizational development
 Prominent in liberal arts colleges
 Moderate likelihood for academic bullying

8. Advocacy Culture
 Establishment of policies and procedures for
equal distribution of resources
 Closely linked with the managerial culture
 Confrontation is key
 Prominent in an two year community colleges
 Low likelihood for academic bullying

9. Virtual Culture
 Answering the knowledge generation and the
dissemination capacity of the postmodern world
 Global, progressive, and inclusive
 Technology driven
 Still evolving
 Low likelihood for academic bullying

10. Tangible Culture
 History, roots, community, and spiritual grounding
 Originates from early European universities
 Places great importance on land, facilities, and
reputation
 Symbolism through buildings and campus design
 Privilege or elite
 Prominent in most Ivy league schools
 High likelihood of academic bullying

11. Cultures and their Roles
 Vary from institution to institution
 Experiencing culture through different
experiences depending on your role
 Can have multiple cultures operating on the
same campus
 Within certain departments
 Central business offices

12. How the Academy Promotes and
Nurtures Bullies
 Self governance
 Academic Freedom
 Autonomy
 The faculty IS the university and are employed BY
the university.

13. Tenure; Job Security
 Those with tenure are hard to discipline and even
harder to dismiss
 Aggressive faculty can be concealed on
committees
 They serve on many committees, especially
tenure committees for junior faculty
 Outdated standards used for basing decisions
 Right of passage

14. Leadership and Academic Bullying
 Faculty can be considered as leaders
 Leaders have the ability to define reality for those
they have influence over
 Bullies as “shadow casters”
 Toxic leadership and it characteristics

15. Leadership and Academic Bullying
 Types of Power
 Coercive Power
 Leadership Styles
 Servant leaders
 Responsible leaders
 Authentic Leader

16. What does Academic Bullying Look Like?
 Bullies who are they?
 Minor irritants
 Serious threats
 Aggressor bully; Do it or else!
 Victim Bully; They hurt me so its their fault I treat
them like this!

17. What does Academic Bullying Look Like?
Self Assessment
 Manipulation and intimidating the seemingly
powerless
 Divulging confidential information , using public
humiliation, insulting, using innuendo, rumors,
sarcasm, backstabbing, talking down to, lying,
excluding, marginalizing, ostracizing, silencing,
patronizing, scapegoating, passive aggression,
and micromanaging

18. What can be done with the bully?
 Academic leaders need to be educated on the
topic of academic bullying
 Create clear policies with real consequences
 Create a safe environment for victims to be able
to come forth and be heard
 Sanctions and Redress as a last resort