Category Archives: bullying

STOP the Bull(ying) in Higher Education Symposium for Faculty

December 17, 2022bullying, cyberbullying, Discrimination, workplace bullyingleahhollis

Here to stop workplace bullying or enhance your diversity efforts?

Do you have questions about diversity, workplace bullying, or gender equity?

Perhaps you are interested in training or a keynote.

GREAT! We are here to help!

Equity1@patriciaberkly.com. or 610 990 6588

2207 Concord Pike #238

Wilmington DE 19803

Please bear with us while we are under construction.

STOP the Bull(ying) in Higher Education Symposium for Faculty

February 24, 2023– 10 am – 2:15 pm- Eastern Time

March 31, 2023—10 am- 2:45 pm- Eastern Time

Workplace bullying in higher education destroys careers, creates health problems, diminishes diversity/inclusion efforts, and erodes organizational trust. Given the breadth of problems that workplace bullying causes for higher education, many faculty are dedicated to stopping this aggressive and unproductive behavior.

Lehigh University- the Marcon Institute for Social Justice, Boston University- Center for Character & Social Responsibility, The National Workplace Bullying Coalition, Patricia Berkly LLC, Academic Parity, and Maryland AAUP are partnering to tackle some of these problems. We are hosting a symposium for faculty and practitioners to discuss the problem and then develop a position paper that will be widely available.

The topics: 1.Faculty career safety 2.Faculty health issues 3.Cost and Legal Ramifications 4. Institutional Diversity

Impact on research

Two-day Symposium: Friday February 24 from 10 am- 2:15 pm and Friday March 31, EST 10 am – 2: 45 pm

Each topic will begin with a 10-minute lead-off discussion by a content expert. Next, we will have an hour and 15-minute discussion. The symposium will be recorded to inform an extensive report of recommendations.

State of the problem (1 of 5 topics) & examples – 10 minutes
Discussion on the 45 minutes
Brainstorm about solutions – 30 minutes
All discussions will be records and then transcribed

All comments will be recorded for the purpose of transcription and report development. All research experts will be listed in the final report unless otherwise indicated they wish to remain anonymous. Participants’ names will NOT be used. IRB# 22/11-0190. If you wish to attend both meetings, please register for both; meetings have different links

Day 1 February 24- All times are Eastern Standard Time

Introductions and Opening

Welcome Message and Purpose of the Symposium

10:00 am- 10:10am Leah P. Hollis & Holona Ochs

Overview Loreleigh Keashly

10:10 am 10-minute brief on topic

10:20 am -11:00 am Open Discussion on the topic

Topic #1-Legal Issues and Cost. Jerry Carbo

11:05 am 10- minute brief on topic

11:15 am- 12 noon Open Discussion on the Topic

12 noon – 12:30 pm possible solutions

Topic #2- Faculty Career Safety. Stacy Tye-Williams

12:35 pm 10- minute brief on topic

12:45 pm- 1:30 pm Open Discussion on the Topic

1:30 pm – 2:00 pm possible solutions

Closing 2:00 pm- 2:25 pm Leah Hollis- the project and March 31 preview

Register in advance for this meeting. Copy/Paste Link into Browser. Space is limited:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0rceCsqDkpG91KJDweAtn3C5zljHZPB62o

DAY 2 March 31

10:00 am Introductions and Recap Leah Hollis & Holona Ochs

10:10 am. Welcome Message and Purpose of the Symposium

Topic #3- Institutional Diversity. Jennifer Swann

10:10 am 10-minute brief on topic

10:20 am -11:05 am Open Discussion on the topic

11:05 am – 11:35 am Possible Solutions

Topic #4- Impact on Research. Morteza Mahmoudi

11:40 am 10-minute brief on topic

11:50 am -12:35 pm Open Discussion on the topic

12:35-1:05 pm Possible Solutions

Topic #5- Faculty Health Issues. Susan Johnson

1:05 pm -10-minute brief on topic

1:15 pm -2:00 pm Open Discussion on the topic

2:00 pm-2:30 pm Possible Solutions

Closing 2:30 pm- 2:45pm Leah P. Hollis

Inform participants on next steps- Reflect of comments

Plans for Dissemination of Report

Register in advance for this meeting. Copy/Paste Link into Browser. Space is limited:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIlfuioqzguGda188P_V-5L72fhwVxBBBrk

Research Team

Leah P. Hollis- Associate Professor at Morgan State, Visiting Researcher at Boston University. Founder of Patricia Berkly LLC, Studies workplace bullying, race, and gender in higher education.
Holona Ochs- Professor, Director of the Marcon Center for Social Justice at Lehigh University

Workshop Leaders in Alpha Order.

Jerry Carbo- Professor, Shippensburg State, EEO professional and attorney. Founder of the National Workplace Bullying Coalitions
Susan Johnson- Professor, University of Washington- Tacoma. Studies workplace bullying in health careers.
Loraleigh Keashly- Professor and Associate Dean, Wayne State. Studies faculty, bullying and conflict resolution
Morteza Mahmoudi- Assistant professor, Michigan State, Founder of the Academic Parity Movement. Studies impact of workplace bullying in the STEM fields.
Jennifer Swann- Professor, Lehigh University. Ombudsmen. Examines workplace bullying in STEM fields.
Stacy Tye-Williams Associate Professor, Iowa State, studies workplace bullying in communication

Boston University honors Hollis, Social Justice Advocate/Educator

September 8, 2022bullying, Discrimination, workplace bullyingsocial justice, workplace bullyingleahhollis

Boston University honors Hollis, Social Justice Advocate/Educator

Dr. Leah P. Hollis, a Boston University Martin Luther King Jr Fellow for Social Justice, has been awarded the Lucy Wheelock Alumni Award for 2022. Specifically, the Boston University/Wheelock alumni network honors Hollis for “championing causes such as workplace bullying, discrimination, pay inequity, and gender bias.” Many of her colleagues comment that Hollis’ advocacy inspired the historical 9% raise for faculty and the introduction of more substantial pay bumps as the point of tenure and promotion. Boston University Professor and Dean Emeritus, Dr. Hardin Coleman stated, “it is impressive they way in which Dr Hollis uses her research and practical experience to effect real change in the world that often benefits the most vulnerable.” Hollis’s efforts align with Morgan State core values of excellence, integrity, respect, diversity, innovation, and leadership. Therefore, she is a recent awardee of the Dr. Iva G Jones award, the highest award bestowed on faculty at Morgan State University for research, teaching, services, and character.

Hollis has dedicated her academic research to workplace bullying and specifically how bullying disproportionately affects women and people of color. Her research informs her Social Justice course which won an award from AERA (American Educational Research Association). Hollis has penned over 50 articles and worked with over 300 colleges and universities to curtail costly and health-harming workplace bullying on campus. In the last year, she has completed two books with Routledge, Human Resource Perspectives on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education Understanding Vulnerable Employees’ Experiences (2021) and Black Women, Intersectionality, and Workplace Bullying Intersecting Distress(2022). Hollis continues to work through her consulting group, Patricia Berkly LLC

Lecture on ECO System on Workplace bullying- OCT 27. 2pm EST. Boston University

October 16, 2021bullying, Discrimination, Diversity Trainingleahhollis

Center for Character and Social Responsibility

Occasional Seminar Series (free event)

2:00– 3:30 PM

October 27, 2021

People, Places, Things: A comprehensive eco system model of workplace bullying in higher education

Leah P. Hollis, Ed.D

Associate Professor of Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy

College of Education and Urban Studies

Morgan State University

Senior Scholar

Center for Character and Social Responsibility

Join Zoom Meeting
https://bostonu.zoom.us/j/96901537734?pwd=cENKS2dPbWJLOEFkdVIwMmdMSzZqUT09&from=addon

In the past decade, several scholars have examined the antecedents and causes of workplace bullying. We have examined the psychological position of the bully, the involvement of leadership, and potential health problems. However, it appears to date there has not been a study that exams the ECO system of workplace bullying, that is how do all these elements work together to create hostile work environments in higher education that support bullying. Therefore, this lecture will offer an Eco system of workplace bullying in higher education, which is the result of 18 in-depth interviews with faculty. Not only will this lecture present the findings of the extended case study and resulting model, but we will also garner feedback from participants that may contribute to a future integration of the model.

Leah P. Hollis Ed.D., Associate Professor at Morgan State is a noted national and international expert on workplace bullying. Her recent book, Human Resource Perspectives on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education Understanding Vulnerable Employees’ Experiences was released by Routledge Publishers in May 2021. It empirically examines the structural and organizational problems that sustain workplace bullying and hurt junior faculty, women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community. Other notable work includes The Coercive Community College: Bullying and its Costly Impact on the Mission to Serve Underrepresented Populations, which was released by Emerald publications in 2016.

Miami University & Metropolitan State

March 18, 2019bullying, Discrimination, workplace bullyingdiversity training, higher education, stop bullying, workplace bullyingleahhollis

Dr. Hollis was out again this winter spreading the word about workplace bullying in higher education. First, she visited Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Her two day trip included a training for the School of Education, and the second day she participated on a panel for the Psychology Department.

This March 2019, Dr. Hollis visited Metropolitan State in St. Paul, MN. Her keynote talk for the faculty reflected on how workplace bullying hurts diversity. She also gave some solutions on how leaders can stamp out abusive bullying behaviors.

If you would like Dr. Hollis to visit your campus, contact us directly. Time is overdue to STOP! workplace bullying on campus.

Don’t Let A Bully Rob You Of Good Health

December 20, 2018bullyingleahhollis

Don’t Let A Bully Rob You Of Good Health

Julius knows he has been bullied since his arrival on the job.

While Julius was a stand out during the interview and the search committee liked him, his boss is jealous that he earned his masters at Penn. Julius threw a wonderful party for his mother’s retirement. Julius was even quoted in the news. No matter how Julius succeeded, his boss turned up his nose.

On most days, Julius was either strategizing on how to avoid the boss or working diligently to add to his resume and plot his departure At least once a week Julius was yelled at in open meetings. He found his office locked. No one would answer his questions and he soon found himself isolated on the job. He had a few buddies from his last job who were advising him to just get out. Nonetheless, the bullying at work was beyond a distraction. Julius returned to his old habit of smoking. He also realized that at least twice a week, he turned to over- the-counter sleep aids.

Though he was once a healthy young man, while he toiled under the boss’s jealousy, Julius turned to comfort foods more often.

Hamburgers and French fries with a nice beer was his favorite. He watched more television and fought off some depression. While his work didn’t suffer, Julius’ health did. Like most people who work in stressful situation, Julius found that his health was declining. What used to be a simple walk around the block, turned into a tortuous event. Julius’s comfort food choices led to cholesterol issues during his physical. He had even gained 25 pounds and had to buy new clothes. While his work didn’t suffer, his health did. In reflection, Julius realized he indulged in all his bad habits as stress relievers from work. He realized he needed to return to simple things to cut his health risk.

1. Walking – any walking whether around the gym or around the mall can help burn off the stress hormone cortisol that is released into your system during stressful situations

2. Have a support system who can listen to you ( hopefully while you are walking). Talking out the situation can help relieve stress.

3. Consider your options with the job. How long do you REALLY have to stay? Network with colleagues to find a healthier work environment.

4. Recognize that the bullying will not stop without an intervention. Unless leadership intervenes to deal with Julius’ boss, or the boss leaves, the boss will continue.

5. Sometimes the boss who is a bully is insecure. Instead of supporting or recognizing great talent, the boss abuses staff members like Julius.

6. Dealing with stress is difficult. Forgive yourself for those questionable habits and try to return to healthy habits

Though Julius recognized nothing could be done with the boss, his physical was a real eye opener. Julius realized that people were leaving every year; turnover was common. While he was bidding his time and managing his professional life, Julius realized that he couldn’t let bullying rob him of his health.