This ongoing research examines RateMyProfessor.com (RMP), an online tool allowing users to submit ratings and feedback for professors at post-secondary institutions, from a bullying perspective. RMP has become a widely accepted venue for feedback on academic professionals but has also been critiqued as crossing the line of constructive criticism into the realm of intimidation and harassment. To better understand the potential role of RMP as a forum for bullying and abuse, we classify the comments posted on RMP into professional and personal dimensions and examine how the nature of these comments can be seen to meet accepted bullying criteria. We also begin to take a closer look at the intent behind the comments and their potential impact on targeted teaching staff. This research is particularly important given the trend of increasing precarious and part-time employment for academic professionals, and growing awareness of how gender perceptions can influence student evaluations.

Published in: Canada International Conference on Education, 2018

• Date of Conference: 25-28 June, 2018
• DOI: 10.2053/CICE.2018.0056
• Electronic ISBN: 978-1-908320-90-2
• Conference Location: University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada