I feel very let down by my university, I don't wish to go back now. What would you do? (discrimination problem)

[belledechocolatefluffybunny]

I started a full time NHS bursary paid course a couple of years ago, I told them I had post viral fatigue before I started the course as this is what my GP told me. My sickness due to fatigue has been high. I became ill in April last year and, after tests, was diagnosed with MS. I have kept the university informed throughout, given them medical evidence, been through student support to set up a plan (which was crap to be honest, extra time in exams and to sort extensions for assignments out myself which the course leader wouldn't agree to without a GP note for each occasion, meaning there's a few non-submissions/late submissions). I've tried damn hard to get on with it, the fatigue caused by my disease is hard, they know I get really, really tired, I've been telling them for 2 years. It's not always safe for me to be on placement so I call in sick if I'm too tired as patient safety has always been my first priority, the last thing I would ever want is to put a patient in danger and get struck off.
I have been told by the university that I am not allowed any sick time, if I have any more time off she'll have me thrown off the course. She said I was a 'nightmare student' I feel as if I'm wedged into a corner. I know she can't do this, we all get grief off her, she's as compassionate as a brick. I do not wish to just quit, I've worked so hard but I feel as if I can't return, it's just too stressful and the MS relapsed last week, probably because of the stress of her and home problems. I can't run the risk of a relapse because of her, I'm unsure what to do now. I can do other things but it's not in me to allow her to do this to another student.
Have I done the right thing by taking the time off?
Thankyou

I've done this, I have no faith or trust in them any more. I'm going to be constantly watching my back, I can't work like this. They've asked me to go and see them next week, it's really just not worth all the stress.

I had accupuncture yesterday, this has really helped, have you tried it?

Can't offer any help or say anything useful but she sounds like a right cow.

Disability Discrimination Act??

unMN hugs

Sorry to hear you're having a hard time of it at the moment. It sounds like you need some serious support networks here.

Firstly - your University should have a Student Support centre with trained disability advisors who should be able to help and will be clued up on University procedures. (I'm not sure who has told you that you'll be thrown off the course, but I suspect that she'll change her attitude when they get in contact).

Secondly I'd contact the MS Society Helpline. They should be able to offer support and I think they can advise you about discrimination.

Beyond that I would start looking at the OIA, which is the independent body for complaints against universities, but hopefully it won't come to that!

Hope this helps.

Oh, and do you have a Welfare Officer in your Students' Union? S/he should be able to act as your advocate and would be able to accompany you to meetings with your department.

She's a bully. It's not just me she's been evil to, there's a girl who had grief off her because she was in hospital and couldn't hand her coursework in. I don't want to go back now, I've had enough, I just want to make sure she doesn't carry on doing this. I'll give the MS society a call tomorrow

The SU have a staff/officer changeover in August so they don't know what they are doing.

are you a member of unison? possibly they could help. what does the hospital think re:sickness on placement - do you have to make days up?

Only the student union. The university have not told anyone on placement about my disease so I have. Most of them are sympathetic, I have alot of time to make up though so the university have extended my second year, I do get alot of 'you've got time to make up' when I call in sick though. I am only allowed to return in Sept to finish the second year placement if I pass the resits next week (which I am now unable to sit as I am in relapse). She (uni woman) has said if I do pass then she'll throw me off if I have any more time off sick.
I'd never work full time if I qualify yet am expected to work full time whilst training, there's no lea way with assignments.

Oh god. I have an appointment booked with the evil witch, the good witch and student services. Can I buy compassion in a bottle somewhere so I can give it to her to drink?

You poor thing - all credit to you for not bloody well jacking it all in because you have been so ill. Last thing you need os stress like this when you have been diagnosed with MS. Got no advice to offer as I haven't a clue, but feel so sorry for you, and hopefully someone will be able to help. Why on earth you cannot study/work PT I will never know.

Good luck in sorting this out.

I've had enough now, I don't need the money (well, I do but it won't kill us not to have it). I've completely lost faith and respect in her. It's really not nice to wake up to find you can hardly walk/hardly see/so knackered you can barely move. I can't be done with all the crap. 60% of people with my illness are in a wheelchair after 15 years, I'm not spending it dealing with crap from anyone.
Oh, did I mention she asked me to change a hospital appointment (the first one with the MS specialist) so I didn't miss her lecture? I didn't, it took 3 months to get the appointment and they only had the clinic on the same day every week.
Thankyou

It sounds as if the horrendous uni woman doesn't believe you're genuinely ill. Maybe she needs to be educated about MS. Is she confusing it with ME (especially given your original diagnosis)? Surely she can't really throw you off if you have any more time off sick? There must be official guidelines for her to follow in cases like this, I would imagine. Sorry, I'm not an expert. Hope you get some good advice.

She's a lecturer? In something medicine-related? That's appalling.

She knows I'm ill, really, she does. She needs a brain transplant. She's already made life hell. Oh, she also said I wasn't allowed time off to care for anyone if they fell down the stairs and broke something

She's a lecturer and runs the course, it's a NHS course and she has worked for the NHS (it's better for the patients that she's teaching now, at least they are not subject to her compassion skills)

Having read all your posts I'm really shocked by your tutor. I'm a lecturer myself and if I had a student in your position there are lots of other avenues we could explore to help the situation. Firstly, a doctors certificate explaining the situation is always enough proof for mitigating circumstances, so asking you to produce a certificate for each deadline is obstructive and not really needed if the people involved use their common sense.

From a teaching perspective if you have missed such a large amount of time that you will be unable to catch up fully I would be inclined as a worst case scenario to look at the possibility of retaking a portion of the year next year to allow yourself to catch up. Most courses are modular, so there may be an option to take a year out, re-do the bits you have missed and then join back in where you left off the next year. Of course this would affect you financially but may be worth it?

If your SU is a bit rubbish (as they can be at this time of year) also consider approaching the head of your faculty or school. This lecturer may be the course leader, but she still has a boss too!

Don't give up - you have clearly worked hard to get to this point. It is very rare that a solution can't be found, and there are a number of second and third (and fourth!) chances available to students with genuine reasons for difficulty. You course leader is talking bollocks if she tells you otherwise!! Hang in there x

I did offer to make time up on placement when I had days off during the Uni time and was told no as there were other students on placement then. It shouldn't have mattered as students drop out and we all end up on placement together anyway.

After much thought, I'd like to do a Ma in Law. I really love law. Should I propose it to them? They should let me do it for free considering all the stress they have put me through.

did you speak to the MS Society about this?

I looked at their web site and it directed me towards the equality commission people, I'm going to give their legal advice line a call on Monday morning.

yes do it and she is a lecturer but she is only a lecturer, which is to say there are people above her and she is an employee. Please keep that in mind.

these people

She is only a lecturer, I have no respect or faith in her now though, she's not only bullied me but other people on the course. Students have been left in tears because of her attitude. I really loved law because integrity is part of me, I just don't have it in me to forgive her.

Sounds as if your treatment by your lecturer is dreadful. I would think long and hard before signing up for a MA in law. What would you do with it if you got it? There are loads and loads of would be lawyers who have done their LPC (and quite a few who did LLMs too) who cannot get training contracts and therefore cannot complete their training and qualify. Most LLMs are a lot of work and it would be a shame to do the course and for it not to lead anywhere. Especially after all you've been through.

I'd teach with it. I like work, really, I do.