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[onthefringe]

A grad student at Yale melts down in an email exchange with an assistant dean over her teaching fellow role in an art history course.

When will people learn not to do these things in writing? Or at least not to post them on their blogs where other people can copy them?

I swear I searched (by Google) and couldn't find another thread about this -- I apologize in advance if I missed one.

[qrypt]

My mind is reeling. 

I don't see signs of mental illness in this one.  Only a profound lack of understanding of this world -- in part no doubt as a consequence of excessive focus on another one. 

[sciencegrad]

I laughed at "You are invited to address me by my name, Ms. Viggiano."

Seriously, I wonder how that would fly if I used that line on my advisor, or anyone for that matter. 

[daniel_von_flanagan]

I love the fact that her paradigm of inferior academic institution is NYU.

Also that she considers Phi Beta Kappa a kind of secret fraternal/masonic group whose members conspire together against nonmembers. - DvF

[crowie]

I laughed at "You are invited to address me by my name, Ms. Viggiano."

Seriously, I wonder how that would fly if I used that line on my advisor, or anyone for that matter.  

Actually, I thought that particular point was reasonable. This email was not from her advisor but from an Assistant Dean of the Graduate School, and it was an email intended to, at some level, formally chastise her and inform her of the requirements for how she was to handle her duties (professionally) from this day forward.  I think given the nature of the email it would have been appropriate for him to address her by an appropriate title rather than her first name.  Obviously her emails are crazy and go increasingly off the rails, but I thought this was a fair point (and note that Dean Barnaby complies in his reply), and I also thought she had a good point that a 3 hour ultimatum (emailing her at 2.02PM saying he needs her to reply by 5PM acknowledging that she wishes to remain a TF in the course--and indeed, that particular sentence is a fragment and seems like he forgot to finish it before sending the email) is pretty silly and not particularly professional.  This is notwithstanding the paranoia exhibited by her emails in other aspects such as the Phi Beta Kappa conspiracy.

[hipgeek]

I laughed at "You are invited to address me by my name, Ms. Viggiano."

I loved that--sassy.  I am also intrigued by the fact that she keeps changing the email subject line.

[onthefringe]

I agree that the Ms. Viggiano thing and the three hour ultimatum thing may be somewhat defensible. On the other hand, they did offer to continue to pay her for the remainder of the term after relieving her of her TA duties, which seems pretty fair to me.

Also that she considers Phi Beta Kappa a kind of secret fraternal/masonic group whose members conspire together against nonmembers. - DvF

Actually, it gets weirder. Apparently she posted a multi page PDF (there's a link near the bottom of that article) to the class server in which she suggests that Yale has freemasonic ties, is engaged in a pact with the devil, and bought specific pieces of artwork for their Satanic symbolism. I think. Her argument is not all that clear.

Now I'm starting to feel bad for her...

[qrypt]

I agree that the Ms. Viggiano thing and the three hour ultimatum thing may be somewhat defensible. On the other hand, they did offer to continue to pay her for the remainder of the term after relieving her of her TA duties, which seems pretty fair to me.

Also that she considers Phi Beta Kappa a kind of secret fraternal/masonic group whose members conspire together against nonmembers. - DvF

Actually, it gets weirder. Apparently she posted a multi page PDF (there's a link near the bottom of that article) to the class server in which she suggests that Yale has freemasonic ties, is engaged in a pact with the devil, and bought specific pieces of artwork for their Satanic symbolism. I think. Her argument is not all that clear.

Now I'm starting to feel bad for her...

Yeesh -- so much for no mental illness. 

Where's William James when you need him? 

[fayefaye]

Both this person and the NYU student seem to have mental health issues. It's not really funny.

[voxprincipalis]

I happen to know one of the professors named, and I'm sorry he's being dragged through the mud in conjunction with this.

VP

[onthefringe]

I agree that the Ms. Viggiano thing and the three hour ultimatum thing may be somewhat defensible. On the other hand, they did offer to continue to pay her for the remainder of the term after relieving her of her TA duties, which seems pretty fair to me.

Also that she considers Phi Beta Kappa a kind of secret fraternal/masonic group whose members conspire together against nonmembers. - DvF

Actually, it gets weirder. Apparently she posted a multi page PDF (there's a link near the bottom of that article) to the class server in which she suggests that Yale has freemasonic ties, is engaged in a pact with the devil, and bought specific pieces of artwork for their Satanic symbolism. I think. Her argument is not all that clear.

Now I'm starting to feel bad for her...

Yeesh -- so much for no mental illness. 

Yep. It was all much funnier before I found the PDF.

VP: Do you really think any professors are being "dragged through the mud"? I think all of the Yale proffesors/admin are looking pretty good in the coverage I've found. I'd view them as displaying considerable grace under pressure, and dealing well with a difficult and delicate situation.

[larryc]

That poor woman is on her way to a dark place, mentally and professionally.

[voxprincipalis]

VP: Do you really think any professors are being "dragged through the mud"? I think all of the Yale proffesors/admin are looking pretty good in the coverage I've found. I'd view them as displaying considerable grace under pressure, and dealing well with a difficult and delicate situation.

No, you are right. I meant only that it would be nicer for him if this woman had never crossed his path; that way his name would never have been invoked. I agree that they are handling it well, but it would be even nicer if there were nothing they had to handle in the first place.

VP

[oldfullprof]

I love the Wiccan look.

[marigolds]

That poor woman is on her way to a dark place, mentally and professionally.

Agreed.  But I have to admit that I did laugh incredulously when I got to this line in her email: "People who behave in this way — without social intelligence — rarely find a job."  (She's talking about the lead TF here, not herself.  Irony.)