tcpip | A certain incident....

Readers of my last protected entry will realize that I have been having a bit of trouble with my CCNA instructors (not tutors, I have been duly informed) and access to module assesments.

On Wednesday one of the instructors, Graham Timmins, telephones and informs me - in the most abusive and threatening manner possible - that I had been expelled from the course and if I attempted to attend on Saturday that he would remove me. He also claimed that he "knew my type" and that I had done nothing in the past fifteen years except be a professional student (clearly he doesn't know how to do a websearch).

Now of course you can't prove anything by 'phone. So I requested that he send me an email of all this - at which point he hung up. Soon afterwards I received send email, minus the personal abuse and of course the threat to throw me out substantially modified ("you will be refused entry").

He also said for further discussion I should either 'phone him or see him personally. Neither is an option to me. I don't want to engage in a conversation with a man with that sort of 'phone manner, and the idea of seeing an erratic individual who wants me to go to a building which he has just threatened to throw me out of is unlikely.

I have submitted a formal complaint to RMIT on account of his actions.

Threaded | Flat

Don't suppose you have heard back from the Dean yet??

Timmins has definitely over reacted in his response to your emails!

At least now you know you can do the exam without them now

Odd. What reason did he give?

I thought most universities had provision to return test papers buried somewhere in their handbooks or policies. I know many academics hate it, and will swear point blank that no such provision exists.

But they're academics - and don't know any better.

I believe that RMIT has reasonable student advocacy - both through the Student Union and the department (depending which dept - but I think Comp Sci is good).

Lordy me!

What in heavens name happened to precipitate your expulsion?!

Growing a beard and refusing to shave it off again? ;-)

Seriously keep at them - RMIT Admin are harder to move than boulders.

the idea of seeing an erratic individual who wants me to go to a building which he has just threatened to throw me out of is unlikely.

Best done in front of a witness, if at all. First rule of conflicts is log everything, second rule is be able to document it.

That is crazy! Abusive phonecalls kicking you out of the class... How can they do that?

I wouldn't go see him either. Or if i did i would take a witness and ask they stayed in the room while you conversed.

Asking for an email - very clear headed of you. Think i would have been in tears by that point :)

*makes rude and abusive gestures at that fella and hugs you, after abusive gestures are finished*

*huggles*

I have had similar experiences with instructors and Yay! for you. Very sorry that you are having to go through all this though :(

*huggles and squeezes*

Feesch

Getting it in writing and making a complaint was a good move.

From the reaction you got, I can only speculate that it seems like he probably felt you were threatening his authority and professionalism and took it very personally. Unfortunately, from the sound of it, you had good cause for complaint.

Best of luck in resolving it all :-).

Hmmm definately student bodies and advocacy/union stuff is the right course i would try and steer clear of doing anything personally as this means the lecturer will have to go through an "inhouse" system that will leave a nice paper trail. I find it very interesting that they took that action. It will be very interesting to see the response from the head i will doubtless say it will be a more measured response than what you got over the phone.

I had a senior faculty guy at uni say sarcastically "Thank the tax-payer" when I expressed relief at being allowed to stay there for so many years doing undergrad studies. This was coming from a fatso who had his degree(s) handed to him in the good old no-HECS days where things really were free for the student and fully funded by the tax-payer. No, I don't have to thank the tax-payer because I've always paid my fair share of taxes (some of which I'd like to think contribute to the education budget, while I wish none went into the machinery of invading other countries, but that's another issue). I've got a HECS-debt the size of a house-deposit (something he'll never have hanging over his head) and he wants me to think the tax-payer? Idiot.

Sounds like you've got a similar power-tripper. I say, call his bluff with Admin. Submit a formal complaint against his behavior, quoting his words...I sincerely hope he loses his position. What he said was unacceptable.

Teaching is fundamentally easy, you just get your ego out of the way.

He clearly fails both as a teacher and for abusive insecurity. I think they call this congruent behaviour.

All the necessary good advice has been given. I will just add my moral support.

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OMG!

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Yay for you! and Grrrrr @ them

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Ego and teaching