Faculty members of this Univ. of Utah dep't. dont speak to one another and students graduate late

A University of Utah report, commissioned after the apparent suicide of a graduate student, describes significant dysfunction within the school’s physics and astronomy department.

Overworked students are left aimless and their degree completion delayed, while “factionalized” faculty members prone to “temper flares” avoid contact with one another, according to a March 8 memorandum by outside attorneys Larry Perlman and Julie Lee.

“Currently, a number of faculty members refuse to speak with each other, pointing to issues with loyalty and trust,” the memorandum states. “The lack of communication amongst faculty members has had a negative impact on department morale.”

The attorneys, with the Florida law firm Foley and Lardner, were asked by U. administrators to review issues and concerns related to the experience of graduate students after the October death of an international doctoral degree candidate.

Read more: https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2018/03/29/university-of-utah-revamping-its-physics-and-astronomy-department-in-the-wake-of-a-students-suicide/