How do students at UK universities behave towards staff? Do they see dealing with student trouble as 'just part of the job'? Or is student conduct a cause for concern, writes Deborah Lee, senior lecturer in sociology at Nottingham Trent.
I am currently exploring these questions with university employees in the first National Student Conduct Survey, funded by the Universities Personnel Association (UPA). All people who work in the sector can take part - lecturers, IT professionals, caterers, cleaners, and everybody else.
We want to know if you think student incivility is a problem, if students' demands for support are unreasonable, or if you've had any experience of students making malicious complaints, or bullying or assaulting staff.
The survey is confidential and can be completed anonymously. There is a short version for quick responses and a longer version for staff who wish to respond in detail.
This project has developed from a small study last year of 22 people, on unacceptable student conduct towards academics. We collected stories of physical attacks, stalking, verbal abuse and sexual harassment by students. The study was published in my book, University Students Behaving Badly (Trentham, 2006).
Many people say they found the study results shocking, raising disturbing questions about life on the front line in our universities.
The academics I interviewed had been frequently blamed by their managers when students attacked them. That sends a powerful message: you report student misconduct at your peril. It has kept the problem conveniently hidden.
The new survey will be followed up by interviews with willing participants. I am particularly keen to interview non-academic staff, men under 40, and people who believe that their race, sexuality, class, religion or disability affects how students treat them.
Staff often say they feel their welfare matters very little. The fact that my research has been funded by the UPA, with the aim of developing policy, is very significant. It means that there is a real opportunity here to effect change - but only if staff take it.
• Deborah Lee is senior lecturer in sociology at Nottingham Trent University and author of University Students Behaving Badly.
