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Spotted by students on a night out- worried

72 replies

PopAndLock · 16/04/2018 09:04

I've name-changed because this might be outing.

Saturday night I went on a big night out with friends. We were all dressed up in skimpy skirts, hot pants, tops etc.

There wasn't any particularly terrible behaviour (no fights) but we were being noisy in the kebab shop, dancing on the podium, dirty dancing with random guys, posing for stupid pictures etc.

I'm an academic and a group of my students saw me- they were in the same club as me.

I waved but we didn't speak all night. I only spotted them towards the end of the night so no idea how long they were in there.

Now I'm worried that they might say something to my Head of Department. They might have taken pictures. Can I get into trouble for this?

Our policy just says something along the lines of not doing anything to bring the University into disrepute and act appropriately when in public representing the University.

Or am I worrying over nothing?

OP posts:

Report

Devilishpyjamas · 05/05/2018 00:45

one is expected to do these things with a little bit more taste in Cambridge or Oxford

Eh? Not in my experience. Where on earth did that idea come from?

Cuboidal I like your style (I have wasted far too much of my life arguing with uni admin).

twelly · 18/04/2018 22:27

Teachers and lecturers have lives, private lives and the night out did not involve arrest or behaviour that broke the law.

scrabbler3 · 18/04/2018 22:07

If you can't have fun at a club when you're in your twenties, when on earth can you. You've done nothing wrong or illegal. I doubt the 18/19 year olds who saw you could care less.

UnimaginativeUsername · 16/04/2018 14:05

(Not that I think there’s any problem with short skirts or dancing/singing in public).

UnimaginativeUsername · 16/04/2018 14:04

Even if it somehow gets back to your HoD (who is unlikely to be listening to the student rumour mill), I doubt s/he will care that you had a night out in Leeds. Even if you wore a short skirt and danced/sang in public.

JessieMcJessie · 16/04/2018 13:04

Dairyisclosed
I went to Cambridge. I can assure you that there was zero decorum involved in most nights out to the legendary Cambridge nightclub Cinderella Rockafella’s. Or indeed in the average night in most college bars. Glad you have this lovely image of us all being genteel and refined though 😉.

PopAndLock · 16/04/2018 12:52

Just to explain- I'm not worried that they'll "report" me. I guess I'm worried that it'll go around the students and one of them might mention it casually in a seminar and word might get back to HoD.

However, you've all massively put my mind at rest that it's a non-issue

OP posts:

UnimaginativeUsername · 16/04/2018 12:12

Could you imagine a student going to your HoD to ‘report’ that you’d had a good night out. My HoD would definitely make this face: . And she’d probably ask me to invite her next time!

When I was at school (and I left at 16), one if our English teachers (young, newly qualified) regularly went to the same club as loads of her pupils. She’d get really drunk and they’d all talk about it. I thought she was very silly at the time and looking back I think it’s even sillier. Not the going out on the lash bit (which seems completely reasonable), but why on earth would you want to go to the kind of club that your underage pupils go to? There were plenty of alternative (and better) clubs that wouldn’t let anyone in without proper ID.

silverpenguin · 16/04/2018 11:59

Thinking back to my own days as an undergraduate, reporting a tutor because I'd seen them letting their hair down on a night out wouldn't even have crossed my mind! You're a human being like the rest of us.

If anything they might respect you even more for being "cool".

UnimaginativeUsername · 16/04/2018 11:55

You won’t be the first Durham academic the students have seen out on the piss (in Leeds, Newcastle or Durham). I promise.

DiegoMadonna · 16/04/2018 11:52

I honestly can't imagine why the students would have done anything beyond laughing and telling all of their classmates.

And I think that's punishment enough tbf.

PopAndLock · 16/04/2018 11:51

Yes, it's Durham

We weren't out in Durham, or even Newcastle. We were in bloody Leeds

I'm ECR but not that early... been a lecturer for about three years.

OP posts:

bonnyshide · 16/04/2018 11:45

Its very unlikely they'll report you, although you may have featured on a few snapchat stories

Cel982 · 16/04/2018 11:40

Unless undergrads have become massively more prissy than when I was a student, it seems highly unlikely they would report you

UnimaginativeUsername · 16/04/2018 11:33

I honestly don’t think ‘academic gets drunk and dances on podium’ is something the daily mail would be interested in. It’s hardly an unusual situation.

fruitbrewhaha · 16/04/2018 11:31

oooooo what happened there? Sorry folks I did preview.

fruitbrewhaha · 16/04/2018 11:31

This is nuts!

You danced in a nightclub! On a podium. Whilst drunk. This is pretty standard stuff OP. Why is there anything wrong with this? You were having fun and enjoying yourself. And you're not the first group to break into song in a kebab shop.

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar OP wasn't brawling, fighting in the street is illegal. What's the point of making reference to something that isn't the same?

*Going forward for yourself op, I'd still enjoy myself but just be aware of how your behaviour would look in a daily mail article/video of yourself.

Going forward for yourself op, I'd still enjoy myself but just be aware of how your behaviour would look in a daily mail article/video of yourself.

Going forward for yourself op, I'd still enjoy myself but just be aware of how your behaviour would look in a daily mail article/video of yourself.

Going forward for yourself op, I'd still enjoy myself but just be aware of how your behaviour would look in a daily mail article/video of yourself.

Going forward for yourself op, I'd still enjoy myself but just be aware of how your behaviour would look in a daily mail article/video of yourself.

Why? IS the OP about to marry into the royal family? Newspapers can always find a dodgy photo, it's all part of their game. Take 30 photos of someone walking and getting into to taxi and least one of them will look awful. Presumably OP is not a celeb so won't have to be pap ready at all times.

pigmcpigface · 16/04/2018 11:23

Please don't worry!

DH is a HoD, and we've done all of those things!

I'm guessing you might be quite early career from what you say? Trust me, management get up to worse! I've been out in a group with our (lovely) Dean and had to help him back to a cab at 4am, after which (his wife informs me) he fell asleep at home in the bath.

Your students are grown ups. It's totally different from being a high school or primary teacher.

MissDollyMix · 16/04/2018 11:22

I work in HR for an academic organisation. Unless you were running around drunkenly waving a banner which read 'X University is shit!' or making inappropriate references to your employer on social media then there's absolutely nothing to worry about. Academics are allowed to have a night out!

bobstersmum · 16/04/2018 11:17

If any of them took photos or a video even then you'll probably see yourself in a daily mail article first, they love that kind of thing!

Inthedeepdarkwinter · 16/04/2018 11:14

I'm an academic, we are allowed out, allowed to get drunk and allowed to pole dance. None of this is any of the adult students we teach business. Only illegal things would be of interest to your employer. If you wrote a critical article about the university, they'd be all over you like a rash citing reputation. In small university towns and cities, it's inevitable everyone is partying in the same place. You didn't sleep with one of your students, honestly, move on.

HoneyBadger32 · 16/04/2018 11:12

I don't think they can really take any action, but if I was you i would also just travel out of town to pole dance and shout in kebab shops

SoupyNorman · 16/04/2018 11:09

one is expected to do these things with a little bit more taste in Cambridge or Oxford

Bless.

UnimaginativeUsername · 16/04/2018 11:06

Did you mean to be so rude? I'll have you know my dancing is top-notch thank you very much

I’m sure your dancing was incredible. The students were probably in awe!

UnimaginativeUsername · 16/04/2018 11:06

Is it Durham OP? I’ve been out to a nightclub in Durham with a bunch of academics and have memories of lots of academics (from Durham and elsewhere) dancing on a podium. And also if eminent professors looking hilarious sitting on leopard print, stiletto-shaped stools.

In fact, I’ve had lots of undignified drunken nights out with Durham academics in many cities.

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