Sacked lecturer Paul Buchanan "unjustifiably dismissed&

The guy who emailed a failing burden of a student giving her a piece of his mind has won his employment court case.. and $65k for unjustified dismissal.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10500436

Despite handling it pretty poorly I think, as a post-grad course lecturer, he should be able to be make the harsh calls when needed. (not the language, but being able to judge the realistic level of students where needed)

R

Vads will not be pleased..

I always liked Paul tho..

au's loss some other uni's gain

GAHHH

Nobody disputes the CALL, RobW
Everybody disputes the language and approach.

I cannot believe it :/ Considering some of the stuff he has said to multiple students before, I'm just astonished.
Can we read the entire depositions?>

I'm quite glad he challenged it and was successful. I remember saying something about this back when the issue first emerged and there was a CA thread about it. It looked like unjustified dismissal back then, and now it's confirmed.

With that said that email was pretty hideous.

There are people dispute the call actually. Some education administrators think that the benefits of overseas student revenue is justification for letting the standards slip a bit... I think he sounds like a pointed, opinionated but very interesting lecturer/tutor to have. Some of mine were so goddamn boring and placid it almost drove me nuts.

R

You don't think that insulting a student is justified? What if it wasn't the first time?

If I went to KFC and I was insulted by the staff I'd expect immediate firing of said staff member... that is gross misconduct no matter how you try and cut the cake.

Ahh, but the thing is the people that want the overseas $ admit to themselves it's the wrong thing; they wouldn't dispute that the student is stupid.
He is all of the above. He is also extraordinarily intelligent. However, intelligence is NOT the same as being a good lecturer.

agree

The ERA publishes its rulings monthly, I believe (or something close to that).

It costs $1 (from memory) to DL the full ruling in PDF format.



I'm surprised that the UoA got it wrong from the start, considering they've got some of the most respected employment law and industrial relations experts in New Zealand within their academic stable.

Of course, that's no reason to believe that their advice was sought, or given.

I don't know Buchanan's disciplinary history vads. From what was reported around this particular incident it certainly did look like unjustified dismissal. It seemed to me, at the time, that the decision to dismiss him was made far too readily and without due consideration given to the issue, it was pretty immediate. Which I why I had hoped he would challenge it. He did and indeed ERA held that it was unjustified dismissal.

And just to respond to your KFC example, I don't think that a single act of rudeness to a student should ever result in immediate firing of a University Professor.

vadz.. somebody not liking you masters thesis is not grounds for dismissal

personal grudge vadinho?

So university professors are more special than KFC employees?

Are you a monarchist too?

did I say that?
learn to read. your KFC analogy was totally inapt.

A student or a customer is the same thing. Rudeness to customers is wrong.

of course it's wrong, no one is denying that. the point is how do we respond to the wrong doing? here is how not to respond: fire the person in a rash manner and without due consideration.

poor vadzy