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I am working with a group of 3 people, we are only students and we are doing a project. At our last meeting they accused me that I am liar because I missed some meetings because I was lazy and tired and not sick. When I was at the first meeting they talked in their native language which is different than mine. The situation was frustrating for me since the beginning. They delegated to me a task that is too hard for me because was the last task to do. I tried to do my job but I had a lot of trouble and I ask some suggestions. They didn't answer me at the beginning but during our last meeting they told me that it was my only task to do and If I have some problem to solve it, is not their fault because they are not Teachers. Finally, they want to give me a bad grade throuh peer evaluation because according to them I am liar and I didn't solve my task. The project is almost finish, we will have the presentation in a few days.I spend many hours for the task and now there is nothing that I can do, I was stuck with some calculus. I don't have any motivation to work with them because they think that I am liar and they were aggressive with me. One of them contacted me only for messagge to tell me that they will give me a bad grade, she didn't say anything in person. They decided to implement the peer evaluation at the end of the project and it is unfair.

I was sick for about 1 month and I still taking medicine because I haven't recovered yet. I have the proof of it and all the cerfiticates that the hospital gave to me. The school knows that I have health problems. What should I do? Do you think that it can be considered a form of bullying?

I talked with the tutor yesterday and she suggested me to write a letter to the teacher and explain the situation because if they want to give me a bad grade I can do extra work to increase the grade but the teacher has to decide. I don't know if it is a good idea to write a letter to the teacher because I am adult and I used to solve the problem with my team members face to face but this time it seems impossible and I am feeling really bad

I am sorry for my english but I am not native. I am feeling really bad for this situation and even though is not a problem in a "workplace" I would like to have some suggestions.

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    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because this is not a workplace issue. This is an issue within a student work group - and so the solution is better advised by people more familiar with academic/classroom scenarios – HorusKol Dec 8 '18 at 14:45
  • The only thing I can advise is talk to your tutor, or course supervisor, or lecturer who set this group project – HorusKol Dec 8 '18 at 14:47
  • Are you at university? – jcmack Dec 8 '18 at 17:08
  • yes, I am at university. – Ben Dec 8 '18 at 17:32
  • sorry, I was wrong. They want to use the peer evaluation to give me less points regarding mine contribuition during our project and as a result I will have a bad grade – Ben Dec 8 '18 at 17:34
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Speak to your personal tutor. Immediately.

They might not be able to solve the problem for you but they are the best person to advise you what to steps to take to minimise any impact on your grades.

There are lots of reasons to believe that this will go well for you but you need to take the right steps.

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  • I talked with the tutor yesterday and she suggested me to write a letter to the teacher and explain the situation because if they want to overgrade me I can do extra work to increase the grade but the teacher has to decide. I don't know if it is a good idea to write a letter to the teacher because I am adult and I used to solve the problem with my team members and face to face but this time it seems impossible and I am feeling really bad – Ben Dec 8 '18 at 15:53
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    If your tutor suggested this course of action then you should probably take it. – P. Hopkinson Dec 8 '18 at 15:55
  • You can still try to work with your group. This is unlikely to damage your case and if things work out then maybe you will solve the problem in the way that you would like to. Probably the best way to do this would be to actively solve some problem or produce a piece of work that the group can use. However, you want to make the course teacher aware of the situation to defend yourself in case: 1) it doesn't work out even though you tried or 2) you complete your task but the group decides to complain about you anyway. – P. Hopkinson Dec 8 '18 at 16:02
  • @Ben - It is clear based on the description that the only way you will get a good grade from your group, is if you finish your task, but I have been on the other end of a group project. Where I had to do all the work that wasn't completed, due to members of the team, not being able to finish the work. I worked through colds during those group projects also, but I had to complete the work, to finish the project and pass the course. So either talk to the professor, or finish the work, we all get sick and sometimes are forced to push through it. – Donald Dec 8 '18 at 19:03
  • they want to evaluate me in any case because even though I will finish the task they did more than me. The only positive things is that if I finish my task I can talk 2 minutes during the presentation instead of saying anything but my grade will be bad in any case. I was in group works when I did the job for others but I have never complained because this is "only" a University – Ben Dec 8 '18 at 19:09
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You have a couple options. Option 1 is to go to the group leader and have a 1-on-1 to express your frustrations and explain calmly how your medical problems are an issue and you will try to attend as many meetings as possible and contribute when you can. You should have also let your team know in the beginning.

The other option is to ask to be reassigned away from this group though that may be harder

I don’t think it is bullying and more of the group expressing their frustration with you. Communication and perception is key. I think you can get through this though you don’t want to be making a lot of excuses over it.

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  • thank you. Unfortunately there is no leader in our group. The last meeting was yesterday . They knew that I was sick but they didn't believe me, I asked them many times to postpone one meeting because I had very high fever and they told me that it wasn't possible. – Ben Dec 8 '18 at 14:41
  • There must be a de facto leader maybe the one with the strongest personality – Brian Dec 8 '18 at 15:02
  • The one with the strongest personality wants to overgrade me – Ben Dec 8 '18 at 15:03
  • I talked with the tutor yesterday and she suggested me to write a letter to the teacher and explain the situation because if they want to overgrade me I can do extra work to increase the grade but the teacher has to decide. I don't know if it is a good idea to write a letter to the teacher because I am adult and I used to solve the problem with my team members and face to face but this time it seems impossible and I am feeling really bad – Ben Dec 8 '18 at 15:17
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You should have right away told your fellow students to come with you to the teacher where he would corroborate your claims because you handed all official paperwork from the hospital to the school.
That would have shut them up.

Mind you, they quite possibly may have been threatened by a student foreign to them or had some other personal issue with you.

NOW
Inform your tutor about the situation and refer to your evidence of being sick.
Emphasize that they didn't believe you and voiced their intent to retaliate with a bad evaluation for what they assume was lying and lazyness.

This should turn the tables and actually cast them in a very bad light.

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  • yes,I will do that. They have just told me that they want to present the project without me and I am feeling really bad because I spend many hours to work on the task that they assigned to me. – Ben Dec 8 '18 at 18:45
  • It seems that the problem is not only the group work, I think that there are some personal issue because they are the first group here that want to use the peer evaluation in the entire school. – Ben Dec 8 '18 at 18:49
  • @Ben Tell your teacher that they intend to exclude you from the presentation and inquire if they a) cand do that b) you should or shouldn't take part and c) if / how it will impact your grade. You probably should also ask to get a personal assignment to make up for this and prove your abilities....on a side note, I really think peer review is a bad idea. Your situation is a perfect contra example why it could be toxic to team dynamics (not just in schools) and individual well being professionally and personally. – DigitalBlade969 Dec 8 '18 at 21:51
  • They told me that as I didn't do any slides, I don't have to present anything. I have 4 exams next week, I don't want to loose time with these kind of people.They aren't smart because all the group will receive a bad grade because of this problem. Unfortunately the presentation is on Monday so I don't have time to have a response before the presentation but I will contact the teacher. I was checking my messages and I noticed that since the beginning they didn't answer my message in our group chat. – Ben Dec 8 '18 at 22:06
  • yes, peer evaluation is a bad idea but noone in the school is using it. Only people in my group against me and..there are many many people here that don't do anythng for projects and presentations but I have never heard someone using it – Ben Dec 8 '18 at 22:10

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