I am currently phd student in abusive situation with advisor. Did everything he told me to do and a year later, I find out I have to start over. Is there anyone who has anonymously passed on information to those in high positions without identifying yourself but it led to an investigation. Since all programs have some type of abuse, there must be an anonymous way to get schools to investigate.
I wish I could say more about my situation but I can't. I'm losing hope and very depressed.

so, i just found out my comprehensive exam results - you can receive a fail, low pass, or pass. I received a low pass, but have to write a paper to submit to a conference. this is something new - not something I know that anyone else has had to do. It just seems like so much work - everything in my program has been so much work - seems like i don't do anything right - i've received good teaching evals, have had a couple papers accepted to a conference, but every step of the way, i always am given more work than my peers and I'm not sure if I should stay - it just seems like i'm finding out every step of the way by what they say that I'm not as strong as my peers - they tell me this. they say that i can learn, which is why i'm given the extra work. It just seems though that no matter what I do - there will always be something not good enough and that i might as well as save us all time and just end it all now. I'm confused and am not sure that I have the strength to keep on going with it.

Thanks everyone for your responses. Why do I want to write this? No, this is not because I want to publicly vent, as I think that would be pointless. I’m writing this because I believe that academia can be hypocritical, and that these abuses, contradictions should be told. The public has been led to believe that the higher education is for the benefit of the public good; however, when those of the community are being taken advantage, then the institution itself has defaulted on its contact and obligation with the larger community to which it should be held accountable. As some have mentioned here, the building and resources are not even available to meet the expectations involved in completing a program. If you challenge that problem, then what would happen? It seems that challenging systemic obstacles is met with responses that indicate that you are not intellectually or emotionally strong enough to persist, but that could not be farther from the truth. It is the intellectual and emotional strength that causes one to speak up. And yes, unfortunately, that means you will be kicked out of the program from within the system itself - using some type of review period that uses subjective data to kick you out.

I realize that writing this would be the end of my career in some ways, but not so much. The career it would end would be a career I would not want because of its hypocritical nature – If I work within a system and am paid by that system, then I am responsible to making sure that I am not part of the abuse; however, it is rare that other faculty will speak up and advocate for students to another student, although I do believe they do at times. The point is that who is helping those faculty who are trying to speak up – perhaps, public exposure would provide more support to those who are working within academia, trying to make it better.

Although I hear that people believe that when others get the degree, they can then change the system, I do not think that realistically occurs. Otherwise, the abuse would stop and it doesn’t. My concern is not with too much work or too much challenge, it’s with the discrimination within the system. The fact is that everyone does not have the same experiences because we are treated differently. Should we be treated differently? Only if it is relative to our ability or interest. My problem is the different treatment due to the way someone looks, their skin color, their gender, or their accent. What is disheartening is when those who do not have to endure different treatment because of these attributes fail to see that this discrimination occurs. Rather you hear from others, “oh- that’s never happened to me—“, implying that it is your fault or something wrong with you that is making that happen, and if you would be like them, then this would not occur.

I am writing this because I believe that speaking up is about being true to what higher education is about – willing to learn and to voice the truth, even in the face of adversity.

So, I'm thinking about writing an expose on the atrocities of a phd program ....everything from abusive faculty to blatant discrimation to lack of concern for student's success. What do you think? Any ideas about things I should include?

I'm teaching an undergrad intro class in business and I think I'm bombing. I've always done well with teaching but I don't know if all the stress with my program & research is getting to me. My self-esteem is shot so when I stand in front of the class I feel like crying but it doesn't show--my main problem is that I don't know if i'm too easy relative to my peers---our teaching styles are completely different. my peers want to trick them so the students don't do well. I teach by setting high standards and letting them know that I'm going to be hard, so they work harder & study but then the test is considered'easy' when really they just studied. As a teacher, does this mean I can get low evals from them? I'm dng something different this time by telling them to study hard and they are but I don't know what to say if they tell me the test is too easy?

43 is not too old! ilm in my late 30s and I started with someone who is 50....and trust me--she is one of my biggest sources of streenght...follow ur dream......

I'm in a bind. I have to make a decision about my research area...my advisors are pressuring me to do it in their area, but I'm not very interested. the problem is I chose this school because my family is here, so i'm stuck here. I feel like I may not make it thru bc profs here put us in the middle. I'm afraid thatno matter how hard I try, so many grades and passing comprehensive exams is subjective so a prof can choose to not pass me[its happened here b4]. so I'm thinkin I should just do what they want me to do, but I'm so sad & depressed...what shud I do?

Hi - Do you ever have times when you really just hate the phd? I do, and I'm having them a lot lately, so sometimes I think about dropping it out. It seems like my paper ideas rarely fit that of my professor's and he's not saying"don't do it." but he lets me know i'll have trouble publishing, so I'm having trouble finding motivation. I don't want to lose myself in this process and be someone else, but it doesn't seem like who i am is the same as my professor's or my colleagues. i'll be done with my classes in a year or a year and a half, i've finished about a year and a half already.... the other thing I notice too is that I don't want to be a complainer, but I want to ask my advisor questions that I think woudl help me, but I might look like I'm complaining...so I don't know what to do?

i hear what you're saying about not being pushy and stuff like that, but I have a fellow phd student who has been doing that - he's pushed for what he wanted and has gotten it, doesn't seem to be doing 1/2 the work the rest of us are, and many people in the department know he cares about his own topic. but i don't see any accountability at all toward him, so I'm beginning to think that it doesn't matter if you do push... how do you know that other phd students might be "in trouble" for being pushy because in all honesty - it really seems like he's their star pupil...

I am studying somewhere where the faculty in my department don't like each other ---- most do not like my advisor and I have to take classes with the ones who don't like him. I'm afraid they are not going to grade me well because of this. What do I do?

trust me---you're Not alone! the same thing is happening to me..I used to be a huge socialite..now I sometimes feel like i'm becoming a loner. the work we do is so individual..I tried to combat it by goin to lunch weekly with two colleagues..it forces us to be social....and it helps

o.stoll, ouch! first, this isn't about hair coolor, nor about what I eat. This situation is about my gender. Second, the problem with society today is when people are so quick to dismiss people's experiences without taking time to questioon and acknowledge their validity.
Finally, thank you for reminding me that some things in life will only change when people are courageous enough to admit they have something to learn.

Thank you to everyone for your help and suggestions.

welll-I don't think its because of my academic performance....mt gmat was over 610 total out of 800--the cutoff was 600. my verbal scores were over 95%tile. my quant was 60%tile...about 600000 took the test...2 out of 5 women left the program...I had a 4.0 gpa in my masters.

there is discrimation against women everywhere and yes esp in business...I don't get why male students and the prof either say the same thing I do and they get credit
for it...t is happens aa few times/wk....what do I say to that?

this information is so helpful---can you all elaborate more on whaat went wrong during your experience and what specifically you would do differently to correct the situation? i'm in an awkward spot...

hi...i'm having a hard time in my business phd program---i feel like there's always this underlying current that i'm not as good as the other students there (and yes, i was told that some of my analytical skills were horrible because of low gmat quant scores)---my background is from the behavioral sciences, not global corp business...a professor i have treats me like i'm not there...i'm thinking about transferring....do you have advice?