





































Microsoft Word - GRHE-V3N2-p23


Global Research in Higher Education 
ISSN 2576-196X (Print) ISSN 2576-1951 (Online) 

Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 
www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe 

23 
 

Original Paper 

Academic Contrapower Harassment and Student Evaluations: 

The Gendered Experience of Bullying, Intimidation, and 

Entitlement 

Alison S. Burke1, Mark Siders2, James Brinson3 & Whitney Head-Burgess4 
1 Criminology and Criminal Justice, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR, USA 
2 School of Business, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR, USA 
3 Department of Science and Mathematics, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, St. Mary of the Woods, 

IN, USA 
4 Department of Sociology, Portland State, Portland OR USA 
* Alison S. Burke, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR, USA 

 

Received: February 27, 2020       Accepted: March 9, 2020      Online Published: April 8, 2020 

doi:10.22158/grhe.v3n2p23             URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/grhe.v3n2p23 

 

Abstract 

Student evaluations are subjective and oftentimes arbitrary, skewed by stereotypes students have of the 

professor rather than the actual merit of the instructional style. Yet student evaluations are frequently 

necessary for promotion and tenure requirements regardless of known gender bias. As such, student 

evaluations have the potential to foster a culture of academic contrapower harassment (ACPH). A 

convenience sample of 150 professors and instructors (41.3% male, 56.7%, female, and 2% declined to 

specify) from two separate liberal arts colleges were surveyed to explore the gendered differences of 

perceived bullying of professors by students on anonymous student evaluations. Using Pearson’s 

chi-square test for independence (categorical variables), results support differences in the psychological 

consequences of student evaluations between male and female faculty but fail to confirm instances of 

ACPH.   

Keywords 

student evaluations, contrapower harassment, gender differences higher education 

 

 

 

 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

24 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

1. Introduction 

Coined by Benson in 1984, the term “contrapower” is still a relatively neglected area of research and 

no study to date has applied this concept to student evaluations of professors. Academic Contrapower 

Harassment (ACHP) is defined as someone with less institutional power, in this case a student, 

harassing someone with more institution power, such as a professor. Research over the past three 

decades suggests that ACPH is a ubiquitous occurrence and part of being a professor in the modern era, 

and many studies to date have explored the psychological and physical tolls this type of bullying and 

have on instructors.  

The current study hypothesizes that the university practice of anonymous student evaluations of 

professors encourages an atmosphere of contrapower harassment. The anonymous nature of student 

evaluations allows students to hide behind aggregate reporting and this ability to be anonymous online 

is often tied to the issue of online harassment (Davis, Amelink, Hirt, & Miyazaki, 2012; Duggan, 2017). 

According to the Pew Research Center, 89 percent of Americans say the ability to post anonymously 

online enables people to be cruel to or harass one another (Duggan, 2017). 

Indeed, the Pew Research Centerreported that 66 percent adults have witnessed online abuse and 41 

percent state that they have personally been victim to harassing behavior online. Duggan (2017) argues 

that harassment is often focused on personal or physical characteristics; political views, gender, physical 

appearance and race are among the most common. The culture of normalizing ad hominem attacks and 

general online incivility bleeds over to classroom conduct which is then in turn reflected in anonymous 

student evaluations. Within this platform of evaluations students are at liberty to say whatever they 

want with no repercussions. Utilizing survey research, the current study examines the issues of 

incivility and harassment of professors by students via anonymous online student evaluations.  

 

2. Literature Review 

Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance 

(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2019). Much of the literature focusses on bullying 

between students and bullying of students by faculty in secondary education. A 2004 study found that 

among surveyed college students, a large majority had witnessed or been the victim of peer bullying 

(Chapell et al., 2004). More alarming, Chapell et al. (2004) found about 60 percent of respondents 

reported witnessing a professor bully a student. Despite these results, the survey did not ask about student 

bullying behaviors toward professors, and most literature is lacking in this singular area. 

Lampman et al. (2009) examined bullying in brick and mortar educational settings and found substantial 

evidence of faculty experiencing bullying over grades, assignment requirements, and 

non-classroom-related issues, such a gender or family. The faculty experienced repeated and intentional 

disruptions by students, outward expression of disdain, and verbal disrespect or challenges to authority; 

moreover it appears that tenure-track faculty were more at risk for ACPH than their non-tenured 

counterparts (Lampman, Crew, Lowery, & Tompkins, 2016; Lampman, Phelps, Bancroft, & Beneke, 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

25 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

2009). Additionally, in a study of 524 professors it was found that 91 percent reported at least one act 

of student incivility or bullying (Lampman, 2012). Women were more likely than men to experience 

ACPH during their career; moreover, women were more likely to experience instances of bullying and 

incivility in the past year than were their male peers. However, Lampman (2012) asserts that gender 

was not the only predictor of ACPH; racial minorities, younger faculty members, and those with less 

experience and credentials reported these incidences occurring more frequently. More women than men 

reported “serious incident” of student incivility, and female faculty reported they were more seriously 

impacted emotionally by these instances (Lampman, 2012, 2014; Lampman et al., 2016, 2009). 

Lampman (2012) found that faculty age was negatively correlated with unwanted sexual attention. 

These instances of incivility have real and lasting consequences. Lampman et al (2016) found that 

female professors reported significantly more negative outcomes as a result of contra-power 

harassment that their male counterparts including anxiety, stress-related illness, difficulty concentrating 

or wanting to quit. These finding correspond to those of Wildermuth and Davis (2012), who found that 

female faculty, younger teachers, and those faculty of color were more likely to face incivility in the 

classroom and online. Interestingly, male professors were more likely to highlight experiences with 

sexual harassment, which were relatively uncommon. Conversely, women were more likely to recall 

instances where students challenged their authority, were disrespectful or disruptive (Lampman et al., 

2016; Wildermuth & Davis, 2012). 

Earlier research on harassment of university faculty by students focused almost entirely on sexual 

harassment (Carroll & Ellis, 1989; DeSouza & Fansler, 2003; Dziech & Weiner, 1990; Grauerholz, 

1989; Matchen & DeSouza, 2000). It was believed that students did not have enough power in the 

student-professor relationship to bully faculty. However, evidence suggests this is quite the contrary 

and indeed is not uncommon (Meires, 2018). As such, more recent research conceptualizes ACPH 

more broadly to include student behaviors that are rude, disrespectful, and/or uncivil. It also includes 

bullying, threats, intimidation, aggression, and challenges to a professor’s authority, or involve 

racial-ethnic or sexual harassment (DeSouza, 2011; Lampman, 2012; Lampman et al., 2009). Bullying 

by students occurs for several reasons, including personal gain (Meires, 2018). Significant predictors of 

contrapower harassment include being tenure track, teaching in Arts and Science, and having larger 

classes. Interestingly, more years of experience and being younger are significant predictors of ACPH 

for women, but not so for men (Lampman et al., 2009). 

May and Tenzek (2018) and Wildermuth and Davis (2012) both found that ACPH harms the 

professor’s psyche, makes them change grading practices, disrupts the learning environment, instills 

distrust, anxiety, and fear of personal safety. The researchers also found this affects women more than 

men. Since stereotypes of women professors dictate they be accessible and kind, if they veer from these 

ideals, they experience more ACPH (Burke, Head-Burgess, & Siders, 2017; E. R. DeSouza, 2011; May 

& Tenzek, 2018; Wildermuth & Davis, 2012). 

 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

26 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

2.1 Gender Experiences 

In part, ACPH may be driven by gender stereotypes and an emerging consumerist attitude among 

students (May & Tenzek, 2018). Prescribed gender stereotypes, such as women being accommodating 

or men being authoritative, govern student expectations of normative gender characteristics (Burke, 

Head-Burges, & Siders, 2017; Heilman & Okimoto, 2007; Lampman, 2012; Lampman et al., 2016; 

Matchen & DeSouza, 2000). It is suggested that these prescribed gender stereotypes are the reason why 

more female professors report instances of ACPH than their male counterparts. Moreover, male 

professors may be more reticent to report instances of ACPH because of the “threat to their 

masculinity” which violates the perceived gender characteristics of the authoritative male (Heilman, 

2001; Heilman & Okimoto, 2007). Lampman (2012) found 25 percent of faculty experienced at least 

one “sexual behavior” from a student and more women than men reported a “serious incident” of 

student incivility, bullying, aggression or sexual attention during their careers. Furthermore, in their 

research, May and Tenzek (2018) reported several female professors feeling very uncomfortable with 

male students who exhibited overly masculine displays. In fact, one female respondent detailed an “… 

almost like a sexual dominant thing happening”, in her description of how a male student made direct 

references to her body and encouraged her to keep working out. Another student used language, such as 

“bitch”, that was “very slanderous toward a woman” (May & Tenzek, 2018, p. 283). Moreover, May and 

Tenzek’s (2018) accounts are far from unique, other female professors detail instances of sexual 

harassment, stalking, and incivility by male students (Bartos & Ives, 2019; King, 2019). 

2.2 Cyberbullying and Anonymity  

Bullying has been defined as a problem at least in part due to an imbalance of power. Power 

imbalances are widespread in the hierarchical context of universities: administrator to faculty member, 

senior to junior faculty, faculty to student. And while research around bullying within academia often 

focuses on peer bullying or the student victim, the student bully who targets professors is a neglected area 

of study yet just as destructive, demeaning, and intimidating. 

Cyberbullying can take many forms. It can include harassment, insults, spreading rumors, threatening 

behavior, outing, and trickery. It can be conducted via email, text message, or social networking cites or 

websites (King, 2019; Pieschl et al., 2013). One such platform where this might be seen is on 

ratemyprofessor.com. One professor noted that with online attacks he was: “Unfairly treated with no 

chance to defend myself” (Cassidy, Faucher, & Jackson, 2017, p. 895). In Cassady et al.’s (2017) 

research on cyberbullying in the academy, another professor said, “I know there are cruel and 

disparaging remarks posted about me on ratemyprofessor.com … The unpoliced internet allows students 

to post demeaning and often untrue comments anonymously. How is this not libel?” (p. 895). 

Cyberbullying provides anonymity to the bully, which is not possible with conventional old-fashioned 

bullying. Because of the anonymity, offenders cannot see the reactions of their victims and research 

shows that because of this, the bully feels less remorse. Cyberbullying causes harm with no physical 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

27 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

interaction, little thought or planning, and a slim chance of being caught or identified (Slonje, Smith, & 

Frisén, 2012).  

The online world has resulted in a “rapid increase in uncivil online discourse” (Wildermuth & Davis, 

2012, p. 380). Women are about twice as likely as men to say they have been targeted as a result of their 

gender with regards to cyberbullying; 11 percent of women reported being targeted because of their 

gender, while only 5 percent of men reported their gender made them a target for harassment. Men, 

however, are around twice as likely as women to say they have experienced harassment online as a result 

of their political views, with 19 percent of men saying that have experienced harassment of this sort 

versus 10 percent of women (Duggan, 2017). 

Email, for example, is a prime medium for cyber bullying. Wildermuth and Davis (2012) assert that 

communication between faculty and students has increased as higher education has become 

increasingly digitalized, meaning that the opportunity for bullying of faculty via email has also 

increased. Cyberbullying disrupts typical powerhierarchies by providing the option of anonymity and 

enabling indirect forms of bullying (Cassidy et al., 2017). Moreover, technology makes cyberbullying 

easier due to the perceived anonymity, asynchronous nature of online and email interactions, lack of 

nonverbal cues, and the intangible nature of online interactions (Wildermuth & Davis, 2012). In 

addition, the “consumer” attitude of higher education allows students to designate the professor as a 

service, rather than a person, resulting in the “I paid. You deliver”, ethos which dictates ACPH (May & 

Tenzek, 2018; Wildermuth & Davis, 2012). This mentality negates the need for civility or respect in 

the relationship between student and professor. 

 

3. Methods 

The current research examines ACPH in the form of student evaluations of professor teaching 

effectiveness. These evaluations are the primary measure that many colleges and universities use to 

evaluate professors’ teaching and are given to students at the end of the semester or term. Such 

evaluations ask students to rate the teaching effectiveness of their professors and are generally both 

qualitative and quantitative. Students are asked to rate professors on a scale (1 being ineffective and 10 

being effective) and to elaborate via qualitative feedback. Qualitative questions often ask students “What 

did you like best?” or “What did you like least”? 

With such open-ended free evaluation reign, it was surmised that students would use this anonymous 

platform to engage in instances of ACPH against faculty. To uncover this, the current research 

surveyed a convenience sample of 150 professors and instructors at two separate liberal arts 

universities, one on the west coast and one in the Midwest, to examine the prevalence of ACPHP 

professors and instructors of all rank were invited to participate if they were currently teaching and had 

taught at least one course in the last academic year. Adapting questions from Lampman’s (2012) 

research instrument, faculty were asked14 questions pertaining to how many times in the past three 

academic years they received comments on their course evaluations that could be considered uncivil 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

28 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

and ten questions pertaining to the personal and psychological consequences of student evaluations (see 

Appendix A). All surveys were administered online in the Fall of 2018 using Qualtrics survey software 

to ensure participant confidentiality. Using Pearson’s chi-square analysis, which represents one of the 

most utilized statistical analyses for answering questions about the association or difference between 

categorical variables (Franke, Ho, & Christie, 2011), the current study aimed to discern if there was a 

difference in ACPH between male and female faculty.  

 

4. Results 

The sample was drawn from two liberal arts universities, one on the West Coast and one in the 

Midwestern United States. Results yielded 150 usable responses; 62 of the respondents identified as 

male (41.3%), 85 respondents identified as female (56.7%), and 3 respondents declined to specify 

(2%). 

Years as an Instructor as a correlate 

Table 1 presents the results from asking faculty about the frequency of uncivil or bullying comments. 

Respondents were asked to indicate how many years they have been working as a university level 

instructor. The results utilized correlation analysis using years as an instructor versus each of the survey 

items. While most items showed no significant relationships there were a number of items that did 

show a significant correlation with years as an instructor. 

 

Table 1. Rate of Uncivil or Harassing Comments on Student Evaluations 

R Significance 

Made a comment about your 

appearance/body 
0.2 0.033 

Contain other inappropriate comments 0.156 0.1 

Feeling anxiety before reading evaluations -0.177 0.058 

Seeking the social support of colleagues -0.168 0.073 

Feeling embarrassed to talk with colleagues -0.155 0.1 

Discuss/Share with department members -0.251 0.007 

 

The negative correlation with the last 4 items on the above list might give some hope to instructors, in 

that the some of these severe consequences are, in fact, mitigated with time on the job. 

Sex/Gender Analysis 

The literature is replete with examples of gender bias in student evaluations. The current study reveals 

several examples of a marked difference in responses between males and females (see Table 2). 

 

 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

29 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

Table 2. Psychological Consequences of Negative Comments 

 Gender Mean SD 

Made remarks about a disability that Male 1.239 0.766 

you might have * Female 1.031 0.175 

Feeling anxiety before reading evaluations * Male 2.72 1.51 

Female 3.36 1.47 

Trouble sleeping after reading evaluations * Male 1.66 1.01 

Female 2.11 1.18 

Feeling depressed after reading comments** Male 1.76 0.937 

Female 2.3 1.2 

Suffering from stress related illness * Male 1.298 0.072 

Female 1.6 0.981 

Note. * p< .05 , **p < .01. 

 

Out of the 14 items that measured ACPH, only one item reflected a difference between the genders. 

The results indicate a difference in relation to students making remarks about a disability the faculty 

member might have (p = .05). Four out of the ten survey items relating to personal/psychological 

consequences of evaluations yielded statically significant results. The results show that women were 

statistically more likely to feel depressed after reading comments on student evaluations (p = .01). 

Moreover, women were also more likely to feel anxiety before reading the evaluations, have difficulty 

sleeping after reading them, and from suffering from stress related illnesses (p = .05). 

 

5. Discussion and Conclusion 

While the results from the current study failed to show evidence of ACPH in student evaluations, it did 

provide some interesting results. First, as Lampman et al. (2009) found, years in rank was a significant 

predictor for uncivil comments on student evaluations. However, as mentioned, these aspects might be 

mitigated with more time and experience in the classroom. 

Second, the results of the current study also support previous research that examined the psychological 

aspects of student evaluations. While the student comments did not explicitly elicit feelings of being 

bullied or harassed, evaluations of faculty still created negative psychological strain. Most notable was 

feeling depressed after reading comments. More women than men experienced negative emotions 

associated with student evaluations.  

And third, the failure of this study to find overwhelming support of ACPH in student evaluations is a 

positive development showing that students are not using this platform to harass, belittle, and demean 

faculty. Students are able to appropriately harness their emotions and provide general feedback on 

evaluations, instead of using them to singularly target a faculty member.  



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

30 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

The practice of using Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET) has been under attack in recent years 

because of the plethora of research that shows how ineffective and biased it is (Beleche, Fairris, & 

Marks, 2012; Braga, Paccagnella, & Pellizzari, 2014; Burke et al., 2017; Lawrence, 2018; Uttl, White, 

& Gonzalez, 2017; Wagner, Rieger, & Voorvelt, 2016). Yet little research discusses the psychological 

impacts evaluations have on faculty. It is problematic to continue a practice which causes depression 

and anxiety to faculty in general and women faculty in particular. 

Limitations of the current study include a relatively small sample. While the study attempted to be 

more generalizable by utilizing a sample from two separate universities, the demographics of the 

sample were not diverse. 

Additionally, qualitative feedback on the surveys revealed that ACPH is much more prevalent in the 

classroom, face to faceinteractions, and in emails, not anonymous evaluations. This is supported in 

DeSousa (2011), Wildermuth and Davis (2012), Lampman (2012), Lampman (2016). It was 

hypothesized that the anonymity of online student evaluations would allow students to hide their 

disdain behind a cloak of invisibility, but apparently students need no such shield. Those who challenge, 

bully, and demean professors do so openly and without regard. More research should be directed at this 

problematic occurrence. 

And finally, future research should look at the still widely adopted practice of using SET. Universities 

should strive to promote emotional wellbeing of faculty, self care, and a safe learning environment for 

everyone, faculty and student alike.  

 

References 

Bartos, A. E., & Ives, S. (2019). More than “Silly Stories”: Sexual Harassment as Academic Training. 

GeoHumanities, 0(00), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/2373566X.2019.1611383 

Beleche, T., Fairris, D., & Marks, M. (2012). Do course evaluations truly reflect student learning? 

Evidence from an objectively graded post-test. Economics of Education Review, 31(5), 709-719. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2012.05.001 

Braga, M., Paccagnella, M., & Pellizzari, M. (2014). Evaluating students’ evaluations of professors. 

Economics of Education Review, 41, 71-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2014.04.002 

Burke, A. S., Head-Burgess, W., & Siders, M. (2017). He’s Smart and She’s Nice: Student Perceptions 

of Male and Female Faculty. International Journal of Gender and Women’s Studies, 5(1), 1-6. 

https://doi.org/10.15640/ijgws.v5n1a1 

Carroll, L., & Ellis, K. L. (1989). Faculty Attitudes Towards Sexual Harrassment: Survey Results, 

Survey Process. Initiatives, 52(3), 35-41. 

Cassidy, W., Faucher, C., & Jackson, M. (2017). Adversity in university: Cyberbullying and its impacts 

on students, faculty and administrators. International Journal of Environmental Research and 

Public Health, 14(8), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14080888	

 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

31 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

Chapell, M., Casey, D., De la Cruz, C., Ferrell, J., Forman, J., Lipkin, R., … Whittaker, S. (2004). 

Bullying in College by Students and Teachers. Adolescence, 29(153), 53-64. 

Davis, S. D., Amelink, C., Hirt, J. B., & Miyazaki, Y. (2012). Women’s educational opportunities: 

Factors that influence their graduate school aspirations. NASPA Journal About Women in Higher 

Education, 5(2), 141-165. https://doi.org/10.1515/njawhe-2012-1111 

DeSouza, E. R. (2011). Frequency rates and correlates of contrapower harassment in higher education. 

Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26(1), 158-188. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260510362878 

DeSouza, E., & Fansler, A. G. (2003). Contrapower sexual harassment: A survey of students and 

faculty members. Sex Roles, 48(11-12), 529-542. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023527329364 

Duggan, M. (2017). Online harassment 2017. In Pew Research.  

Dziech, B. W., & Weiner, L. (1990). The lecherous professor: Sexual harassment on campus (Second). 

University of Chicago Press. 

Franke, T. M., Ho, T., & Christie, C. A. (2011). The chi square test: Often used and more often 

misinterpreted. American Journal of Evaluation, 33(3), 448-458. 

https://doi.org/10.1177/1098214011426594 

Grauerholz, E. (1989). Sexual harassment of women professors by students: Exploring the dynamics of 

power, authority, and gender in a university setting. Sex Roles, 21(11-12), 789-801. 

https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289809 

Heilman, M. E. (2001). Description and prescription: How gender stereotypes prevent women’s ascent 

up the organizational ladder. Journal of Social Issues, 57(4), 657-674. 

https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00234 

Heilman, M. E., & Okimoto, T. G. (2007). Why are women penalized for success at male tasks?: The 

implied communality deficit. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(1), 81-92. 

https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.1.81 

King, B. A. (2019). Contrapower Harassment: An Unanticipated Experience in Academia. Journal of 

Political Science Education, 15(2), 264-269. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2018.1476254 

Lampman, C. (2012). Women Faculty at Risk: U.S. Professors Report on their Experiences with 

Student Incivility, Bullying, Aggression, and Sexual Attention No Title. NASPA Journal About 

Women in Higher Education, 5(2), 184-208. https://doi.org/10.1515/njawhe-2012-1108 

Lampman, C. (2014). Taking action: Gender differences in faculty responses to student incivility, 

bullying, sexual harassment and aggression. In K. De Welde, & A. Stepnick (Eds.), Disrupting the 

Culture of Silence: Confronting Gender Inequality and Making Change in Higher Education. 

Sterling, VA. 

Lampman, C., Crew, E. C., Lowery, S. D., & Tompkins, K. (2016). Women faculty distressed: 

Descriptions and consequences of academic contrapower harassment. NASPA Journal About 

Women in Higher Education, 9(2), 169-189. https://doi.org/10.1080/19407882.2016.1199385	

 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

32 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

Lampman, C., Phelps, A., Bancroft, S., & Beneke, M. (2009). Contrapower harassment in academia: A 

survey of faculty experience with student incivility, bullying, and sexual attention. Sex Roles, 

60(5-6), 331-346. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9560-x 

Lawrence, J. W. (2018). Student evaluations of teachers are not valid. American Association of 

University Professors. 

Matchen, J., & DeSouza, E. (2000). The sexual harassment of faculty members by students. Sex Roles, 

42(3-4), 295-306. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007099408885 

May, A., & Tenzek, K. E. (2018). Bullying in the academy: Understanding the student bully and the 

targeted “stupid, fat, mother fucker” professor. Teaching in Higher Education, 23(3), 275-290. 

https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2017.1379482 

Meires, J. (2018). Workplace Incivility: When Students Bully Faculty. Urologic Nursing, 38(5), 251. 

https://doi.org/10.7257/1053-816X.2018.38.5.251 

Pieschl, S., Porsch, T., Kahl, T., & Klockenbusch, R. (2013). Relevant dimensions of 

cyberbullying—Results from two experimental studies. Journal of Applied Developmental 

Psychology, 34(5), 241-252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2013.04.002 

Slonje, R., Smith, P. K., & Frisén, A. (2012). Processes of cyberbullying, and feelings of remorse by 

bullies: A pilot study. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 9(2), 244-259. 

https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2011.643670 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2019). Stop Bullying.gov. Retrieved from 

https://www.stopbullying.gov/ 

Uttl, B., White, C. A., & Gonzalez, D. W. (2017). Meta-analysis of faculty’s teaching effectiveness: 

Student evaluation of teaching ratings and student learning are not related. Studies in Educational 

Evaluation, 54, 22-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2016.08.007 

Wagner, N., Rieger, M., & Voorvelt, K. (2016). Gender, ethnicity and teaching evaluations: Evidence 

from mixed teaching teams. Economics of Education Review, 54, 79-94. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2016.06.004 

Wildermuth, S., & Davis, C. B. (2012). Flaming the Faculty: Exploring Root Causes, Consequences, 

and Potential remdies to the Porblem of Instructor-Focused Uncivil Online Discourse in Higher 

Education. In L. A. Wankel, & C. Wankel (Eds.), Misbehavior Online in Higher Education (First, 

pp. 379-405). Bungley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Unlimited. 

https://doi.org/10.1108/S2044-9968(2012)0000005020 

 

 

 

 

 

 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

33 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

Appendix 

Appendix A: Survey of faculty 

How many times in the past 3 academic years did you receive comments on your course evaluation 

that: 

• Requested that you make your exams or assignments easier 

• Contained inappropriate comments  

• Questioned your credentials or qualifications to teach a course  

• Made a hostile or threatening comment 

• Made a derogatory comment concerning race, ethnicity, sex, or sexual orientation 

• Communicated something intimidating (e.g., lawsuits or grievances) 

• Accused you of racism, sexism, or discrimination 

• Called you a name or insulted you 

• Made remarks about a disability you might have 

• Flirted with you 

• Made a sexual advances 

• Asked you out on a date 

• Made a comment about your dress/attire 

• Make a comment about your appearance/body 

Personal/Psychological consequences of student evaluation comments  

How many times did you experience: 

  Feeling anxiety before reading evaluations 

  Trouble sleeping after reading evaluation comments 

  Felt depressed after reading comments 

  Did not want to teach the class again after reading comments 

  Suffered from stress-related illness (e.g., migraines or stomach problems) 

  Needed medical treatment for stress-related illness as a result of the evaluations 

  Reported the harassing comments to Department Chair, Dean, or other Administrator 

  Sought the social support of colleagues 

  Felt embarrassed to talk to colleagues about the incident 

  Changed assignments or teaching based on fear of harassing comments  


