Out-of-line psychology instructor engaged in possibly defamatory gossip about student in Psychobiography course taught during Winter 2008 quarter at Northwestern School of Continuing Studies - at cost to the student of $1250 to be publicly disparaged in front of entire class
During Winter quarter psychology instructor (and licensed clinical psychologist) Jim W. Anderson, PhD, engaged in completely-out-of-line behavior by inferring, in front of multiple witnesses (as in, in front of the entire class) that a student he had never ever met before might have selected a literary personality for a research project for personal, psychologically significant reasons. The literary figure had had issues with alcoholism and very severe, suicidal-like depression, but although the student verbally explained that she was "not suicidal" and merely like the scary and detective stories written by the literary figure she chose as her topic, Mr. Jim W. Anderson immediately began objecting, right in front of the entire class, which had the end result of causing a bunch of people to infer that perhaps his crank psych theory might actually be true.
The fallout continued when the student overheard Mr. Jim W. Anderson and another student, Mrs. Arlene Rumbaugh, a Student Advisory Board member at Northwestern's School of Continuing Studies, engaged in some highly offensive and possibly even slanderous gossip about the same student (they had not realized the student was nearby and had overheard it).
Also, during the actual class, itself, Mr. Jim W. Anderson engaged in some sleazy behavior by addressing Mrs. Rumbaugh about the student they had been maliciously gossiping about, but without directly mentioning the student by name as the target of the innuendo (the student knew, because she had overheard the more private conversation). But in front of the entire class, Mr. Jim W. Anderson made snippy comments to Mrs. Rumbaugh about how some people don't want to admit they have a problem and need to be in a group setting (I think he probably thought the student needed to be in an AA meeting, or something, because the literary figure selected for research had had issues with drinking).
First off, the student barely knew either of these two malicious gossips in the first place, and secondly, what kind of crank psychological theory holds that just because a person wants to research a colorful literary figure, it might mean that they, too, are suicidal alcoholics?
Run run run run run for your life from any classes taught by this sleazeball.
To date, no offer of a refund for this creepy class was ever offered to the student, nor was an apology made for the outrageous behavior, even though the student complained to the dean about it. These people do not admit fault, but merely claim they will "discuss" it with the instructor.
What they ought to do is refund the money, but since that will never happen, perhaps a usacomplaints.com will suffice to warn others to beware of this man's class.
What is most outrageous is that he engaged in more gossip with a member of student government, a third-party, which might be slanderous and defamatory in addition to being completely uncalled for.
Beware of courses taught by this man.
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