Problem 3: Dealing with a complaint raised by the trade union

As Deputy Vice Chancellor (Deputy Director), Director of Staffing, you have requested to see a member of staff (30 Sept 1998) whom the union has informed you is being treated unfairly by the member of staff's Head of Department and is being bullied. Such treatment includes the member of staff being removed from teaching just before the start of the academic year (28 Sept 1998); the Head of Department's unwillingness to perform his mandatory duty and negotiate the member of staff's workload with him/her (18 Sept 1998) and jobs suddenly being placed in the member of staff's pigeonhole (16 Sept 1998). How would you prepare for, or conduct this meeting? Would you:

a) request information from the member of staff in advance of the meeting, including proposals from the member of staff about how best to proceed with the problem
b) provide the member of staff with an agenda for the meeting, including your own proposals as to how to deal with the problem
c) conduct the meeting with no agenda, notes or proposals but with the intention of preparing constructive ways forward at the end of the meeting
d) conduct the meeting on your own with no other member of staff present and with no agenda, notes or proposals, but with the intention of preparing constructive ways forward at the end of the meeting
e) conduct the meeting on your own with no agenda, notes or proposals, and then adopt the ostrich position
f) conduct the meeting on your own with no agenda, notes or proposals, and then actively support the Head of Department to the detriment of the member of staff


Suggestions welcome


Response to follow

Problem 2: Protection of a member of staff from unreasonable and improper behaviour and actions

2) As Deputy Vice Chancellor (Deputy Director), Director of Personnel, how would you act if the union reports in writing that one of its members is being subjected to unreasonable behaviour and actions which are having a detrimental effect on the colleague's employment (Dec 1997, June 1998, July 1998, Sept 1998), and also reports verbally on the matter to you when matters are escalating in terms of the unreasonable behaviour towards the colleague (7-9 Oct 1998)?

Would you:

a) request available information
b) set up an informal meeting with those concerned
c) set up an emergency meeting with those concerned
d) adopt the ostrich position
e) take pleasure in seeing how things pan out
f) actively contribute to the misery of the colleague


Please post your suggestions.


Response to follow.

Problem 1: Underhand actions and plagiarism

1) As Deputy Vice Chancellor (Deputy Director), Director of Personnel, how would you act if your Head of Personnel informs you of a potentially difficult staffing problem due to one member of staff having acted in an underhand way towards another (admitted in writing on 27 June 1997) by: plagiarising another colleague's work5 months earlier; sending it off to external referees at other universities in this unauthorised format whilst not informing the colleague of the change of authorship?

Would you:

a) request available information
b) set up an informal meeting with those concerned
c) set up a grievance hearing
d) adopt the ostrich position
e) take pleasure in seeing how things pan out?

Please post your suggestions.

Response to follow.

DEATH OF AN ACADEMIC: A 'CABARET' IN COUNTLESS ACTS

ACT ONE: The Role and Actions of Mr D. (Deputy Vice-Chancellor), 1997-2007